By Janani Loum
Waste management in Kenya faces many challenges, including limited infrastructure, inadequate resources, and poor public awareness. Despite these hurdles, the sector holds tremendous potential for entrepreneurial growth and job creation. However, one crucial aspect that is often overlooked in this space is the role of gender dynamics.
Women often bear the brunt of domestic waste management responsibilities, particularly in rural areas with limited access to formal waste collection services. This often forces them to rely on informal and potentially hazardous methods like burning or burying waste, jeopardizing both environmental and community health.
Furthermore, a stark gender disparity exists within the formal waste management industry. Women are predominantly relegated to lower-tier, low-paying positions such as waste picking and sorting, while men dominate higher-income roles and decision-making positions. This disparity not only perpetuates societal gender norms, but also marginalizes women, even as the industry formalizes. This means further exposure to safety risks, low pay, poor working conditions, and gender-based violence.
Understanding how gender influences waste generation and management is key to developing more inclusive waste management strategies. Women, traditionally responsible for household duties like cooking and cleaning, generate significant amounts of domestic waste, yet their roles in managing waste professionally are often undervalued. This imbalance underscores the need for gender-inclusive waste management initiatives that not only provide women with equal opportunities but also address the safety risks they face in the industry.
To address these challenges, innovative approaches are emerging in Kenya. Two standout examples of gender-inclusive waste management practices are MegaGas Alternative Energies and Junky Bins. The two are part of KCIC’s SWIFT Programme, working towards transforming the waste management sector in Kenya through tailored support to waste entrepreneurs and policy strengthening.
MegaGas Alternative Energies: Empowering Women Through Waste-to-Energy Innovation
MegaGas is a cleantech start-up that converts plastic waste into affordable cooking gas, particularly benefiting low-income families. One of their flagship initiatives is a community kitchen in a low-income neighborhood in Nairobi. This kitchen, equipped with 24 gas stoves, offers women a safe and affordable space to cook meals at a fee of just 30 KShs per hour. For those unable to afford this cost, MegaGas has introduced an innovative trade system, allowing women to exchange 1 kilogram of plastic waste for 1 hour of kitchen use. This not only promotes waste recycling but also provides women with an alternative means to access the cooking facility.
The community kitchen also fosters social interaction, enabling women to network, share ideas, and collaborate on entrepreneurial ventures, transforming the kitchen into a hub for economic empowerment and community building.
Junky Bins: Prioritizing Safety and Gender Equality in Waste Management
Junky Bins is a Nairobi-based waste management company that employs both men and women in various roles, from waste sorting to administrative positions. The company has taken a unique approach to workplace safety by allowing employees to choose their personal protective equipment (PPE) based on comfort and preference, ensuring that both male and female workers have access to appropriate gear. This initiative not only improved compliance with safety measures but also enhanced employee morale and engagement.
Additionally, Junky Bins provides insurance coverage for its staff to safeguard them against the risks associated with waste handling. The company also ensures that there is no gender pay gap and offers flexible work schedules for women, particularly nursing mothers. With women employed in higher-tier roles, including management, Junky Bins exemplifies how a focus on gender equality can lead to safer and more inclusive work environments.
A Gender-Inclusive Future in Waste Management
Kenya’s waste management sector presents a critical opportunity for addressing both environmental and gender-related challenges. Initiatives like those by MegaGas and Junky Bins demonstrate that incorporating gender perspectives into waste management not only creates more equitable workplaces but also fosters innovation and community development.
To realize the full potential of the sector, it is essential to adopt strategies that promote gender equality, such as ensuring equal pay for equal work, providing targeted training for women, formalizing informal waste workers’ roles, and implementing robust safety measures.
At the same time, encouraging shared responsibility for waste management at the household and community levels, as well as raising awareness about proper waste disposal methods will go a long way in achieving sustainable impact. As Kenya continues its journey toward sustainable development, integrating gender into waste management policies and practices will be pivotal in building a more resilient and inclusive future for all.
The writer is a Gender and Social Inclusion Advisor at WUSC, currently volunteering at the Kenya Climate Innovation Center.
