The Role and Experience of Women in Plastic Waste Management

This factsheet examines women’s roles in plastic waste management within a context of rapidly increasing global plastic waste and heavy reliance on informal systems in developing countries. It outlines how women dominate lower-tier activities such as collection and sorting, while facing low pay, insecurity, and limited advancement. It describes structural inequalities, gendered labour divisions, and stereotypes shaping opportunities, alongside case evidence showing integration efforts and persistent vulnerabilities including health risks and social marginalisation.