INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE OF WASTE PICKERS

The International Alliance of Waste Pickers is a union of waste picker organizations representing more than 460,000 workers across 34 countries
Supported by Logo WIEGO

Posted by
Written by Sonia Dias, Ana Carolina Ogando

Region

Country Brazil

April 26, 2016


Gender and Waste Recycling: A Toolkit for Teachers, Researchers and Practitioners
Written by Sonia Dias, Ana Carolina Ogando. wiego.org. 04/18/2016

gender toolkit

As part of the Waste and Gender Project, this toolkit was developed for a broad audience interested in understanding the connections between gender inequalities in the waste sector. There are three books, available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, along with pullout exercises from workshops conducted with women waste pickers on gender and waste.

While academic studies increasingly focus on waste picking and solid waste management, including the threats and risks faced by informal recyclers, there is still a gap when it comes to understanding the gender dynamics and sexual division of labour involved in waste picking activities. The Gender and Waste Project, undertaken in 2012-2015, sought to fill this gap by working closely with women waste pickers in Minas Gerais, Brazil, in a horizontal and participatory process. The aim of the exploratory research-action project was to understand women’s concerns regarding gender inequality in their workplaces, homes, and within the national movement of waste pickers.

Preceded by a popular toolkit, which seeks to engage waste workers by introducing key gender inequality issues, this Toolkit includes identification of conceptual issues related to gender and waste, a framework for groups interested in holding workshops, and additional resources.