WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE WOMEN IN WASTE MANAGEMENT

In a normal African home set-up, a woman handles most waste. How the waste is managed, is a question that raises the need for a gendered perspective in waste management. It is not easy to fend for one’s family using waste, as Asha Mweru has discovered. She has survived collecting wastes from Mwakirunge dumpsite in Mombasa, however, her biggest dilemma is knowing when the next garbage collector will arrive at the dump site. “We collect metal, plastics and other items that we sell and get money for our livelihoods. But it is a total struggle, not for the faint hearted. We fight with men, something that is not always easy so as to get items for sale. At times you get and other times you don’t,” she explained. Learn more.