'Farm workers exposed to pesticides hazards'

Women play a vital role in the agriculture work force in Pakistan where around 34,000 tones of different pesticide chemicals are applied annually as women farmers and workers are frequently exposed to dangerous pesticides directly when engaged in harvesting, planting, and soil preparation studies conducted reveal that the agriculture workers run at lest twice the risk of dying on the job compared to workers in other sectors.
Although statistics are not available, the facts remain that hundreds of agricultural workers die each year while thousands of others suffer injuries or poisoning by chemicals. It has been established that most farm workers are routinely exposed to pesticides but few studies have analysed specific farm activities to pinpoint the extent of the exposure by gender.
However, it has been observed that the role of women in agricultural job is growing due to the migration of men to urban areas seeking better opportunities with the result that no less than 40 percent women account for the total workforce in the agriculture sector.
It has also been observed that women are exposed to pesticides not only through agriculture activities but also from exposure at home workplace and in public spaces for example women come into contact with pesticides through washing pesticides-soaked clothes of their family members or disposing of empty containers of pesticides. Keeping in view that the cotton crop is a major consumer of pesticides. About 57 percent in Pakistan a study on women cotton pickers was carried out in Khairpur district which revealed that 70 percent of cotton pickers experienced sickness with an average of 10 days out of 68 picking days. a blood test of 40 pesticides applicators and 38 cotton pickers mostly women revealed that 12 percent of pesticides applicators and 39 percent cotton pickers were found having ChE below the normal level.
Studies carried out by international agency for research in cancer has found sufficient evidence of carcinogen in pesticides and limited evidence in 16 pesticides there is evidence that the pesticides have been implicating human health with leukaemia lymphoma plastic anaemia soft tissue sarcoma and cancer of breast.
They established a variety of reproductive health impact on women due to exposure to pesticides the study further documented increased incidents of miscarriage stillbirth and delayed pregnancy amongst women wife of men employed in pesticides mixing and spraying there is also evidence of increased risk of birth defects from parental exposure to pesticides specific herbicides disrupt oestrogen cycle in women and can cause menstrual cycle problems or disrupt reproduction of hormones cycle other effects recorded on health include dizziness muscular pain sneezing itching skin burn blister difficult in breathing nausea nails changing colour and sore eyes.
Despite reports and studies carried out experts and international agencies the plant protection department has launched no campaign to create awareness in Sindh.