Women, circular economy and a just transition

A shift to a circular economy isn’t just about protecting Nature, it’s also about transforming our economies and societies. From promoting better health, jobs and sustainable growth, a circular economy is an opportunity to build a more equitable society, inclusive and collaborative in all its aspects.

The International Women’s Day campaign this year underscores the importance of inspiring inclusion to forge women’s economic empowerment and to support women in leadership, decision-making and STEM. There is no better time than now to demand a gender-responsive approach to ensure the circular transition leaves no one behind. As economies attempt to break away from the unsustainable linear models, it is imperative that the transformational potential of the circular economy be also utilized to count the women in.?

The link between gender-inequality, poverty and environmental perils is too obvious to ignore. In our earlier article, we highlighted how climate change deepens existing gender inequalities. Heatwaves, floods or droughts have a greater impact on women and girls than on men. For instance, during a climate crisis and its aftermath, women are displaced; more likely to live in poverty compared to men; have more difficulty accessing healthcare, food and other basic needs and are cut off from economic activities. They are also vulnerable to gender-based violence during times of upheaval. Further, in many regions, women bear a disproportionate responsibility for securing food, water, and fuel. This puts added pressure on them. These compounded challenges, among others, imply that women will face heightened difficulties as climate change progresses. The good news is that the Paris Agreement calls for gender equality and women’s empowerment, and details adaptation and capacity-building efforts to adopt gender-responsive approaches. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goal on gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls (SGD5), in fact, will make a crucial contribution to progress across all SDGs, including SDG 13 that deals with combating climate change.?

Women in circularity

Studies have shown that women tend to be more sustainable consumers and are more sensitive to ecological, environmental and health concerns than men. Given their traditional role in the management of the household, women’s consumption habits and resource management are more sustainable. They have greater engagement with domestic waste management and waste management services. Researches have shown that they are more likely to make eco-friendly purchases, minimize waste and recycle. They are also more likely to use public transport than men.?

Globally, women play a wider role in the waste management sector and circular economy, contributing at various levels from household activities to professional roles such as engineers, collectors, and recyclers, however, the sector has a high percentage of female participation in informal work and unregulated employment, especially in developing countries. Women are also actively involved as activists, researchers, policymakers, and occupy leadership positions including higher-level managerial roles and governmental positions.?

A 2022 global online survey titled Mapping the status of women in the global waste management sector conducted by Women of Waste (WOW), supported by the International Solid Waste Association, revealed that women reported a sense of purpose working in the waste sector, with the intention to stay and reach management levels.? It collected data from 607 women across 75 countries and found that “women are overrepresented in the lower-value of the waste flow and underrepresented in high-value activities such as design or management of advanced technologies.” The female entrepreneurs in the waste sector reported difficulties acquiring loans, and globally, women continue to juggle work and family responsibilities.?

The report findings: About 33.3% of women were working in ‘waste recycling’, followed by ‘waste collection or transfer’ (19.4%). 61.0% of respondents indicated that they currently work in a management role – at various levels from team leader, project/department manager up to CEO or company director. 24.9% of respondents work as a ‘Specialist (typically specific theoretical and practical knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and / or mathematics)’. The majority of respondents (31.2%) were working in a ‘private / commercial waste company’, with a noticeable decrease in the number of respondents from ‘local government, municipalities or similar’, which was the dominant employer in 2018. Local government still remains a significant employer in the 2022 survey with 17.4% of respondents.

Leading a silent revolution

Women are also taking matters into their own hands, leading community-based recycling and circular economy efforts. Initiatives led by women are gaining momentum worldwide, bringing about transformative changes within communities. For instance, in South Africa, ‘All Women Recycling’ makes new products out of discarded plastic bottles, creating a market for plastic waste while also providing training and job opportunities for women.??

In Manila, the Philippines, women-run neighborhood convenience stores called sari-sari offer a novel waste-to-cash (Aling Tindera) programme, by which communities are establishing a market for plastic waste while concurrently mitigating the environmental impact of plastic usage. This initiative offers financial returns to its members. Supported by USAID, the Aling Tindera model aims to foster local, market-driven circular economies that are inclusive.?

Transitioning to a circular economy could create a net increase of six million jobs by 2030. Greener jobs provide an ideal opportunity for women to engage in the workforce as leaders. When women are equally represented in leadership roles, it would not only benefit them by improving their socio-economic situation, but also the community around them. Studies have shown that women in leadership positions positively impact both business and environmental outcomes. A research by Foreign Policy Analytics found that greater gender diversity in senior management led to better environmental performance, reduced energy consumption, and resulted in more inclusive corporate and industry cultures.

It is critical to integrate a gender lens into decision-making and policy formulation. For a successful circular transition, policy interventions should prioritize creating opportunities for women across various levels of the waste management value chain, starting from the grassroot levels, as well as promoting their roles as leaders and waste entrepreneurs.?