 Welcome to the online module on air pollution and the world of work. In the first module, we aim to introduce how social and gender inequalities shape people and communities and even exposures to air pollution. To explore this, it will begin by introducing the parallels between social economic marginalization and higher levels of exposure to air pollution. It explains how those who are socio-economically marginalized are disproportionately exposed to air pollution. Then, the module will zoom into how gender and socio-economic identities shape exposure. It will introduce the concept of intersectionality and explain how an intersectional lens can help us understand differences in air pollution exposure. Lastly, the module will outline the structural drivers of air pollution. It will delve into the political economy of air pollution, which includes understanding how aspects such as existing urban development trajectories and air pollution governance systems intersect with pre-assisting structural inequalities that influence exposure. The module will include case studies from Southeast Asia as examples. In this section, let's discuss about inequitable exposure to air pollution. While air pollution impacts all of us, the cost of air pollution are not even. Different people are more exposed or vulnerable due to existing social and gender inequalities. Exposure to air pollution mirrors existing inequalities and vulnerability to air pollution varies based on socio-economic factors. In general, populations that are socio-economically disadvantaged tend to bear the brunt of air pollution. Poor populations are unequally exposed to air pollution based on where they're living, their occupation, and access to protective equipment. Those who are disproportionately exposed to chronic air pollution are often low-income households and outdoor workers, such as within the construction, transportation, and agriculture sectors, or in certain informal occupations who cannot insulate themselves from exposure. Furthermore, poor and or racially and ethnically marginalized populations are more likely to be concentrated near population sources due to a lack of choice and other systemic discriminations, such as occupational or housing discrimination. In addition, pre-existing poverty, gender, and energy inequities can lead to high levels of prolonged exposure of certain groups of women to household pollutants, such as from indoor cooking stoves. This phenomenon can be summarized by the concept of environmental inequality. This concept sheds light on the fact that more marginalized individuals, communities, and population groups are more likely to be exposed to environmental pollution. Environmental inequality is the outcome of multiple, multi-scale, and interacting factors, including socioeconomic inequalities, racial, ethnic, and gender discriminations, as well as the policies, systems, and norms and values that drive these. We now look at a case study on occupational air pollution exposure and how informal workers may be disproportionately exposed and vulnerable to its impacts. In Lao PDR, the grilled food sector is a rapidly growing part of the informal food economy. Grilled food restaurants, markets, and streetcarts in Vientiane uses open charcoal fire, which generates high levels of particulate matter, or PM2.5 pollution. In this part, we'll look more closely into how do gender and socioeconomic identities shape exposure. Specifically, how does gender inequalities create uneven exposures to air pollution? First of all, please consider the definition of gender and gender identities in this slide. Gender differentiated exposures to air pollution can be the outcomes of the gender division of labor and responsibilities, as well as an equal influence over decision-making around air pollution control. The gender division of labor refers to the allocation of different types of jobs or work to men and women, often based on pre-existing gender norms or stereotypes. Gender divisions of work and responsibilities, both within the household and in the workplace, can shape individual exposure to air pollution. For example, women tend to shoulder disproportionate responsibilities for domestic care work. This may increase the exposure to indoor air pollution, such as from cooking fuels. When family members get sick from air pollution, women also tend to be the ones taking time off work to stay home and take care of them. This can negatively impact their livelihoods, strategies, and income. Men can also be disproportionately impacted by air pollution in many contexts. For instance, men tend to be overrepresented in industries with high occupational air pollution, such as construction and mining. However, it is important to understand that along with gender, socioeconomic dimensions play a key role in mediating exposure to air pollution, as it influences aspects such as location, occupation, and ability to protect against air pollution. Therefore, intersectionality is an important concept that ties these aspects together. Intersectionality highlights how gender intersects with other social inequalities, such as ethnicity, class, race, age, disability, and geography legal status, to create different privileges or disadvantages. An intersectional gender lens is a frame of analysis in which to examine this phenomenon. Applying this concept to understanding air pollution exposure, we can see how gender in this intersection with other factors shapes people's exposure to and experiences with air pollution. To illustrate how gender and intersectional considerations play out in air pollution exposure, we now turn to a case study on Vietnam's craft villages. The study explores the socioeconomic disparities and gendered exposures to occupational air pollution. The last section will take a deep dive into the structural drivers of air pollution and the political economy of air pollution, which influence unequal exposures. In order to understand the root causes of unequal exposures to air pollution, it is important to understand the political economy of air pollution. This entails understanding the structural drivers of air pollution, which are a range of factors at both the macro and community level that perpetuates air pollution production. This includes but are not limited to aspects such as air pollution policy and regulations, urban planning trajectories and the growth of certain industries. The outcomes of these drivers have unequal impacts on different people groups based on pre-existing structural inequalities, which is when different people are attributed unequal statuses, roles, rights and opportunities based on biases in social institutions. Furthermore, when considering the political economy of air pollution, there is also the need to address the transboundary impacts of air pollution and its related governance frameworks. Oftentimes, air pollution is not confined within a specific territory and is transboundary in nature. For example, in Southeast Asia, Thailand's severe air pollution problem, particularly from industrial and agricultural emissions, is transboundary in nature, which extends beyond its borders and affects neighboring countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Malaysia and vice versa. Transboundary air pollution challenges are likely to worsen in a context with unregulated air pollution policies, or policies that favor the expansion of certain industries, which are often driven by political or business elites. Historical and current urban planning decisions influences air pollution exposure. In many contexts, wealthier and or more powerful residents settle in areas that are far from pollution sources or less geographically hazardous. This is typically the outcome of hysterical and current urban development policies. For example, in Nairobi, Kenya, European colonists segregated the city based on race, where the colonists settled in high-altitude locations that are more sheltered from air pollution, as pollution particles tend to settle in low-lying areas. Today, upper and middle classes live in former European quarters that experience much lower air pollution than other parts of the city, whereas many poor residents live in informal settlements that are highly exposed. Furthermore, urban development plans that are geared towards attracting corporate investments often fail to refer to the lives of local residents. For instance, those living in informal settlements. This further reinforces disparities in environmental exposures and stratifies health and wealth outcomes. Secondly, the lack of certain essential services, such as waste collection systems and affordable electricity, can lead residents to have little choice but burn accumulated waste and use solid fuels to meet energy needs or to get rid of trash. This not only results in the rise of air pollution that endangers the health of families and communities, but is also environmentally hazardous. Finally, it is important to look at air pollution governance frameworks. The complexity of air quality governance, with multiple institutions and actors involved, can lead to challenges in coordination and effective policy enforcement. There can also be a lack of funding or expertise to make effective decision-making around air pollution. Furthermore, some policies can also have vested corporate and private interests. For example, policies that give high priorities to private cars but neglect the development of public transport systems can exacerbate congestion and increase vehicular emissions. Here are some key messages that you've learned from this module. Thank you for attending.