Gender and Waste Nexus: Experiences from Bhutan, Mongolia and Nepal

Summary of main findings and policy considerations Nepal

Households are crucial in securing effective waste management systems. Although the involvement of households is essential throughout the entire waste management chain, households do not perceive themselves as part of the waste management system in Kathmandu. In general, there is good awareness of recyclables, though there is little awareness of household hazardous waste, such as batteries, domestic chemicals or mercury-containing goods. Policy considerations: Households may be a crucial area for reform in waste management. Establishing early and good communication and participation mechanisms, such as involving local community members in the development of municipal waste management plans, may overcome this obstacle and increase household awareness and participation through the entire waste hierarchy. Such consultations should be attentive to including women as household representatives. The Government of Nepal has launched a zero waste strategy. The Government is planning to set the high- level target of diverting 60 per cent of waste from landfills by 2035 as part of its aim to ultimately reach zero waste. The national strategy and action plan for 2020 to 2035 will include concrete actions to reach these commitments. New structures are emerging in the waste sector based on public–private partnership principles. Policy considerations: There is an opportunity to explicitly consider gender in national strategies and action plans, as well as to include provisions for gender mainstreaming and propose concrete targets to achieve gender equality in the sector. For example, quotas could be created for female managerial positions or employment processes could facilitate equal access to various jobs. Enforcement of existing anti-discrimination laws could also be strengthened. The safety level of waste labourers remains very low in Nepal. Safety is linked to cultural stereotypes, which stigmatize waste labourers. Policy considerations: The Government of Nepal should establish necessary policy frameworks for waste management in order to undertake practical implementation measures, such as safety guidelines, and should also oversee their implementation. Policy and governance

The following is a summary of main findings from the gender and waste country analysis for Nepal, which includes relevant policy considerations. Further to this work, UNEP-IETC and the national partner organizations carried out stakeholder consultations. Annex 4 includes a list of elaborated policy implications summarized after the stakeholder consultations. Women are the main handlers of household waste management. At present, women take more prominent waste management roles at the household level in line with their traditional roles and responsibilities. This responsibility also extends to the public sphere, where women are more active in community initiatives. In addition, these roles are typically voluntary, unpaid or minimally compensated. Policy considerations: The alienation of men and boys from domestic and community waste management is neither socially nor structurally healthy. These roles can be taught and communicated in schools or encouraged through social entrepreneurship activities. Initiatives to encourage social entrepreneurship schemes – for example, a small-scale financial activity that benefits society – for both men and women can provide incentives to engage men and boys in waste management at the community and household levels. This would also contribute to the recognition of women’s unpaid work. Segregation materials at the source contributes to recycling. Currently, there is limited official segregation at the source, but recyclables collected informally from households through door-to-door collection, which are then segregated at transfer stations and landfills contribute to a large share of the Nepal’s recycled materials. This contribution could increase if basic official segregation is established for wet and dry waste at the source. Nepal is historically and culturally familiar with recycling principles, particularly when these concern glass, paper, metal and plastic. Policy considerations: Policy initiatives can support current household contributions to recycling and recognize the importance of households in achieving the zero waste target. Recognizing households’ role in waste management implies that women can be agents of change in performing basic source segregation functions. Household, community and larger composting schemes may be alternatives to organic waste landfills. These reforms require long-term and widespread awareness- raising campaigns. Households and communities

54 Gender and waste nexus