Guide to Ensure Gender-Responsive Action in Eliminating Plastic Pollution - GUIDANCE DOCUMENT
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Guide to Ensure Gender-Responsive Action in Eliminating Plastic Pollution GUIDANCE DOCUMENT
Cover: Reuters/Jorge Silva
Contents
3 Executive summary
3 Overaching principles
5 Introduction
5 A note on terms
7 1 Why gender and inclusion are key to plastic action
8 Amiyna’s story
11 2 Principles for gender-inclusive plastic pollution action
12 A Gender-mainstreaming guidance for all actors in the plastics value chain and plastic pollution
action community
12 1 Disaggregate collected and shared data by sex as well as other variables as appropriate.
Include gender indicators in the collection of data where relevant
12 2 If a sex or gender-based inequality in terms of risk, access, exposure, benefit or outcome
is identified, undertake an analysis of laws, policies, norms and practices to locate the causes
of the inequality
13 3 Facilitate the public availability of collected and analysed gender-related data and evidence
14 4 Include clear accountability, at the senior level and for all staff, for gender mainstreaming in
the action area
14 5 Undertake systematic and effective capacity-building for gender mainstreaming for staff, project
implementers, evaluators, clients, beneficiaries and other stakeholders
15 6 Promote and support the meaningful participation of diverse individuals and communities when
planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating an action
15 7 Allocate adequate levels of resources to implement the above principles for each plastic
pollution action
16 B Actor-specific guidance to ensure gender-sensitive and responsive action
16 8 Integrate gender considerations into all actions and take gender-targeted action in order to
reduce identified inequalities and discriminatory practices
16 Policy-makers/regulators
20 Industry: plastic producers and users
22 Innovators
23 Civil society and others in the plastic pollution action space
24 Academia
26 Contributors
27 Endnotes
© 2021 World Economic Forum. All rights
reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means, including photocopying and
recording, or by any information storage and
retrieval system.
Guide to Ensure Gender-Responsive Action in Eliminating Plastic Pollution 2
Guide to Ensure Gender-Responsive Action in Eliminating Plastic Pollution
Executive summary
Gender equality is an important human right in The Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) has
itself, but it is also widely acknowledged as a created this guidance to support actors in the plastics
basis for sustainable development, particularly in value chain and plastic pollution action community
environmental protection. Given women’s central to adopt a gender-sensitive approach in their areas
role in entrepreneurship, resource management, of work. The guidance provides several important
waste disposal and unpaid household labour principles for gender mainstreaming in this sector,
and informal sector work, policies that aim to along with detailed guidance on each principle, made
support women’s rights and livelihoods should specific to a variety of stakeholders, including policy-
naturally complement efforts to transition to a more makers, industry and business leaders, innovators,
sustainable and circular plastics economy.1 civil society organizations and academia.
Overarching principles
In every action, process or decision, women and Actions such as investment and design solutions
traditionally marginalized communities need to be should be informed by a prior gender analysis
seen and treated as integral drivers of the solutions or gender-sensitive considerations2 that are
– and not solely as victims who may be adversely incorporated from the outset; gender and inclusion
affected. While women may be most affected by should not be introduced late in the process, after
plastic pollution, this also means they are in the most of the decisions have already been made.
best position to create and implement sustainable
solutions that will benefit the most vulnerable
segments of society.
1 Gender-mainstreaming principles for all actors in the plastics value
chain and pollution action space
A. Use evidence collection and gender 4. Include clear accountability, at the senior level
analysis to determine who is being and for all staff, for gender mainstreaming in the
affected disproportionately and why action area.
1. Disaggregate collected and shared data by
sex as well as other variables as appropriate. C. Build capacity, promote diversity
Include gender indicators in the collection of and dedicate resources through
data where relevant. effective management
5. Undertake systematic and effective
2. If a sex- or gender-based inequality in terms capacity-building for gender mainstreaming
of risk, access, exposure, benefit or outcome for staff, project implementers, evaluators,
is identified, undertake an analysis of laws, clients, beneficiaries and other stakeholders.
policies, norms and practices to locate the
causes of the inequality. 6. Promote and support the meaningful
participation of diverse individuals and
B. Establish accountability through communities when planning, implementing,
monitoring, implementation, reviewing monitoring and evaluating an action.
and reporting
3. Facilitate the public availability of collected 7. Allocate adequate levels of resources to
and analysed gender-related data implement the above principles for each plastic
and evidence. pollution action.
Guide to Ensure Gender-Responsive Action in Eliminating Plastic Pollution 32 Actor-specific guidance to ensure gender-sensitive and
responsive action
8. Integrate gender considerations into all actions – Issue: Safe exposure levels to plastics are
and take gender-targeted action to reduce not the same for women and men, and safety
identified inequalities and discriminatory practices. measures often do not reflect the greater impact
on women at lower exposure levels.
A. Policy-makers/regulators – Solution: Review safety measures, redesign
– Issue: Occupational segregation in the waste plastic production processes, substitute
management sector with women concentrated hazardous chemicals and incorporate
in the informal economy and lower-paid, lower- green chemistry.
skills jobs.
– Solution: Conduct relevant gender analyses C. Innovators
to inform the development of new government – Issue: Sustainable solutions to plastic pollution
policy and regulations related to waste such as plastics alternatives need to give
management systems and the plastics industry. greater consideration to the people who
Once a gender analysis is complete, solutions disproportionately purchase/use them.
should be proposed that help formalize waste – Solution: Support diverse innovators/designers
management systems and include strategies and gender-sensitive market and product
and measures to ensure that women and men research and design.
currently working in the informal sector do not
lose income or employment due to this transition. D. Civil society and others in the plastic
pollution action space
– Issue: Current guidelines for safe exposure – Issue: Currently, few actors in the plastic
levels to plastics are not gender-inclusive. pollution action community transparently and
– Solution: Ensure occupational health and safety systematically include gender considerations
regulations in the plastics industry are gender- and analysis in their platforms and actions.
sensitive by conducting a review of existing – Solution: Have anti-plastic pollution actors
policy and regulations related to exposure systematically mainstream gender into their
to plastic and worker and public protection work, making actions and solutions more
to ensure that women’s and men’s different effective and sustainable.
sensitivity levels to toxic plastics is taken into
account with regards to safe exposure levels. – Issue: Financing, investing and access
to capital are harder to access for
– Issue: Behavioural change campaigns that do women, and particularly women from
not take into account gender considerations marginalized communities.
will be less effective and can reinforce harmful – Solution: Undertake targeted investments
gender norms. by seeking out and systematically
– Solution: Ensure that behavioural change prioritizing women-led (particularly women
campaigns on household plastic waste are from underfunded communities) and
gender-targeted and gender-responsive. community-led projects.
– Issue: Economic investment and the expansion E. Academia
of formal economy sectors often benefit men – Issue: A lack of research and evidence on
more than women due to existing unequal plastics related to sex and gender and their
power relations and privileges held by men. intersection with other identity factors.3
– Solution: Set job quotas and implement – Solution: Conduct academic research on the
gender-responsive budgeting to ensure financial plastic value chain, plastic pollution and the
resources and opportunities benefit women and transition to the circular economy as they relate
men equally. to the intersection of sex and gender with other
identity factors. This could include identifying
B. Industry: plastic producers and users the key research gaps; holding information and
– Issue: A lack of women in diverse roles in dissemination sessions on the results of the
plastics production and the oil and gas industry research findings; ensuring research proposals
is perpetuating gender inequality and reducing include a gender-sensitive, intersectional
profits and innovation. research methodology; developing intersectional
– Solution: Increase diversity at all levels of gender methodology guidelines; and providing
the company by strengthening the inflow training to researchers on how to conduct
of diverse women; maintaining women’s intersectional gender-sensitive research and
enthusiasm; and increasing women’s gender analyses.
representation at the top, particularly women
from under-represented communities.
Guide to Ensure Gender-Responsive Action in Eliminating Plastic Pollution 4Introduction
Gender equality is enshrined as a human right in in the plastics economy to dismantle negative
many international declarations and conventions, gender norms and roles within plastics production,
including the Rio+20 outcome document The as well as plastics collection, recycling and waste
Future We Want,4 the Beijing Declaration and management. Such attention to gender and
Platform for Action and the Convention on the equality is not a side priority, but is essential to a
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against successful transition.
Women (CEDAW). The Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs), negotiated and adopted by United For this reason, the Global Plastic Action
Nations members states in 2015, include “achieve Partnership created this guidance to support
gender equality and empower all women and girls” actors in the plastics value chain and pollution
as goal number 5, and “reduce inequality within and sphere, – such as policy-makers/regulators,
among countries” as goal number 10. companies, innovators, civil society and academia
– to be gender-sensitive and responsive. The
Gender equality is an important human right in guidance provides:
itself, but it is also widely acknowledged as a
basis for sustainable development, particularly A. A summary of the principles for mainstreaming6
in the environmental management dimension. gender into the plastics value chain and plastic
Given women’s central role in entrepreneurship, pollution action space
resource management, waste disposal and unpaid
household labour and informal sector work, policies B. Detailed guidance on each principle. All
that aim to support women’s rights and livelihoods principles are general to the plastics value chain
should naturally complement efforts to transition to and plastic pollution action space. They can
a more sustainable and circular plastics economy.5 therefore apply to all stakeholders and actors.
The principles are practical steps to be taken
Current linear plastics and waste management in order to integrate gender considerations into
economies are not set up effectively to reduce actions and institutional processes as well as
and eliminate the huge amount of plastic waste actions by individuals
humans generate. There is an urgent need to fast-
track the transition to a circular plastics economy C. Stakeholder-specific guidance to ensure
to address the global and local challenges gender-sensitive and responsive action, with
generated by plastic waste. This involves all actors opportunities for policy-makers, industry,
in the plastics value chain and plastic pollution innovators, civil society and academia to adopt
action space. In each of their spheres of influence, gender-sensitive and responsive approaches to
actors must use this opportunity for radical change their work
A note on terms
An important clarification: “Gender” does be separated from other social and structural
not equal “sex”. Sex refers to the biological determinants (race, disability, sexual orientation,
differences, such as the genitalia and genetic class, etc.) that shape people’s socioeconomic
differences, between males, females and intersex status and opportunities and must be analysed
persons. Gender refers to the socially constructed in context.
norms that impose and determine power, roles
Gender mainstreaming is not a synonym for adding
and relationships between groups of women, women into a project. Gender mainstreaming is
men, boys and girls in all their diversity, and which also not the same as gender parity. Mainstreaming
operate at various levels, from households to involves looking at the lived experience, needs and
communities and institutions. Gender also refers to interests of diverse women and men, and adapting
expressions and identities of women, men, boys, projects to challenge existing social structures in
girls and gender-diverse people. Gender cannot order to place women and men on an even footing.
Guide to Ensure Gender-Responsive Action in Eliminating Plastic Pollution 5“Gender mainstreaming goes beyond counting A gender-sensitive approach10 to any action
the number of women and men in a room. Rather, considers gender norms, roles and relations,
gender mainstreaming addresses the gender in order not to have that action further gender
inequalities that are at the core of project, policy inequality; however, it does not address
or process, leading to more gender-responsive inequality generated by existing unequal norms,
actions.”7 Gender mainstreaming requires a roles or relations. This approach indicates gender
contextual analysis of the needs, priorities, roles awareness, although often no direct remedial
and experiences of women and men, as well as action is developed to combat gender inequality.
the integration of specific actions to address any It can be seen as a “do no harm” approach.
gender-based inequalities that may have emerged This should be the minimum approach for any
from this analysis.8 Gender mainstreaming in the investment, design solution, project, programme or
context of this guidance is about embedding the other action in the plastic pollution action space.
consideration of gender into all aspects of an
Example of a gender-sensitive approach: When
action. Gender equality is not about one action to
decisions are made by a board about what design
target women, but about systematically taking the
solutions to invest in, the gender impact of the
different perspectives, experiences and needs of
solutions are considered and any with a negative
diverse women and men into account.
impact on one gender are discarded. The bidding
Intersectionality is an important concept in process has also been designed to consider
mainstreaming gender. Intersectionality is the gender bias in final decisions.
complex, cumulative way in which the effects
A gender-responsive approach11 to an action
of multiple forms of discrimination (such as
considers gender norms, roles and relations
racism, sexism and classism) combine, overlap
for women and men and how these affect
or intersect, especially in the experiences of opportunities, exposures, risks, outcomes and
marginalized individuals or groups. Kimberlé effects. It considers women’s and men’s specific
Crenshaw, a legal scholar and activist, introduced needs and addresses the causes of gender-based
the theory of intersectionality, the idea that when it inequities. Such an approach includes ways to
comes to thinking about how inequalities persist, transform harmful gender norms, roles and
categories such as gender, race and class are relations. One objective of a gender-responsive
best understood as overlapping and mutually action will be to promote gender equality, including
constitutive rather than isolated and distinct.9 An progressive changes in power relationships
intersectional gender analysis underscores that between women and men. It can be seen as
women and men are not homogenous groups and a “make society more equal with my action”
that there is a need to consider overlapping identity approach. Almost all actions have the potential to
factors when assessing needs, impact, risks, etc. transform society’s norms, roles and relationships.
For example, sex or gender intersecting with age, With some analysis and consultation of the people
ethnicity, religion, health status, sexual orientation, affected, there is often a way to support gender
disability, location, economic status, education equality and positive gender norms alongside
level, migrant status, geographic area (rural/urban meeting the primary objective.
and/ or geographic unit of relevance) to create a
unique form of discrimination. Example of a gender-responsive approach:
When decisions are made by a board about
Being gender-inclusive means actively and what design solutions to invest in, the gender
meaningfully including the voices of men, impact of the solutions is considered and any with
women and gender-diverse persons from various a positive impact that redresses historical gender
backgrounds in planning and decision-making, inequalities are prioritized. The bidding process
as well as ensuring they have equal access has also been designed to consider gender bias,
to opportunities and benefits arising from and firms with staff gender parity, including senior
actions taken. leadership, are prioritized.
Guide to Ensure Gender-Responsive Action in Eliminating Plastic Pollution 61 Why gender and inclusion
are key to plastic action
Guide to Ensure Gender-Responsive Action in Eliminating Plastic Pollution 7A gender-responsive transition to the circular Exclusion from the more formalized, powerful
economy, in which existing inequalities in the spaces in the plastics value chain occurs despite
plastics value chain and pollution action space the fact that women around the world are more
are systematically addressed, directly benefits the often the ones making the decisions regarding
individuals and groups involved. It creates safer, plastic purchases for the household and how to
better and more opportunities for traditionally dispose of the plastic at the end of use. Solutions
marginalized communities, including women. to plastic pollution will continue to fall short if
A gender-responsive transition is also essential the actors who have the most potential to effect
to successful and sustainable change in how change and who are most affected are not at
we address plastic pollution – an issue that the helm.
affects women and men differently in terms
of opportunities, risks, exposure and health The key gender equality issues in the existing linear
outcomes due to biological and social factors. plastics economy that need to be addressed in the
This is particularly true for women and men from transition to a circular plastics economy are focused
marginalized communities who often earn their in the areas of:
incomes in the informal economy and from lower-
paid, higher-risk jobs. Achieving the shift towards – Negative gendered health impacts for both
a sustainable circular economy requires solutions women and men, particularly those from
that consider and respond to the disparate needs of marginalized communities
diverse communities.
– Limited or non-existent gender-inclusive waste
The exclusion of women and under-represented management policies
groups from decision-making at the highest levels
of policy, operations, planning and programme – Occupational segregation in both the informal
design has led to a fragmented response to plastic and formal waste management sectors, which
pollution. Numerous studies indicate that women’s most often favours men
attitudes towards plastic pollution and prioritization
of environmental and human health lead to different – Lack of diversity on research and design
behaviour and decision-making. Women’s over- teams and lack of diverse consultation on
representation in the informal labour sector, as design solutions
opposed to the formal plastics waste management
economy, has meant they not only benefit less from – Gender differences in consumer behaviour
their labour, but are in less of a position to influence and unpaid labour related to plastics use
their sector and environment. and disposal
In their work for the Swedish International One way of looking at these issues is through the
Development Cooperation Agency, Beth Woroniuk story of Amiyna, a woman who is directly and
and Johanna Schalkwyk found that “despite indirectly affected by gendered and discriminatory
women’s relatively high involvement at the local level, roles, norms and relations in the plastics value chain
men are more likely to have access to institutions and her wider society. Amiyna lives in a city in which
that set priorities and make decisions regarding single-use plastics are not banned and waste from
municipal infrastructure. Community consultations other countries is regularly shipped to the outskirts.
processes often fail to take gender inequalities Amiyna is living in poverty, and comes from a
into consideration and thus neglect women’s community and society in which social mobility is
preferences. Unless explicit measures are taken rare due to ethnic stereotypes and relations.
to ensure women’s participation, their priorities,
responsibilities and needs will not be heard.”12
Amiyna’s story
1 Amiyna, like her mother, works as a waste picker – Women’s participation in the informal
in a landfill. Most men in her neighborhood work waste management sector (often as
in the government-run recycling plant. They have unpaid family labour) is disproportionately
health insurance, sick leave and regulations that high in many countries.
protect them at work. Amiyna works without
– Women are also often involved at the lower
protection and often has to work even if she is
end of the waste sorting/recycling value chain
feeling ill. The recycling plant doesn’t say it, but
and their work takes place in municipal waste,
everyone knows they hire men only because
dumpsites and landfills while the higher-value
the work is considered dangerous. Despite the
businesses are predominantly owned or
many formal jobs in plastic sorting, recycling and
operated by men.13
disposal, Amiyna did not think to apply because
the other women in her family work for the family – Female informal-sector waste workers also
business and, in any case, she has seen only men report that they experience high rates of sexual
working in the formal economy waste jobs. harassment and risk of sexual assault.14
Guide to Ensure Gender-Responsive Action in Eliminating Plastic Pollution 82 Due to her mother and father’s work in the – Research studies show that some plastics
landfill, Amiyna has been exposed from birth to components act as endocrine disruptors
components of plastics that will increase her (EDCs). Pre-birth or early-life exposure to
likelihood of having breast cancer later in life. It was certain EDCs can increase the likelihood of
not possible for her mother to take maternity leave future breast cancer diagnosis in both women
during pregnancy due to her informal work status, and men.15
nor did she know there were risks from plastic
components exposure to her foetus.
3 As Amiyna grows up, she will be continuously – Plastic pollution and exposure to plastics within
exposed to these components. First, her parents the home, workplace and general environment
regularly take her with them to work, where her have a differential impact on women’s and
mother collects old plastics components for men’s health due to gender roles at home and
recycling and her father smelts them. She will be work; and women’s physiology (higher body
more affected by exposure to toxic chemicals than fat content) makes them more vulnerable to
her brothers, who will spend more time in school, chemical exposure than men.16
being prioritized for education. Secondly, she
– Women are often also employed in the lower-
will be more exposed than others, mostly men,
paid and less-skilled positions in production
in the community who work in formal recycling
plants and therefore are more likely to be
plants, because she, unlike them, does not have
exposed to working with toxic chemicals in the
protective gear to shield her from the plastic fumes
plastics industry.
that she is consistently inhaling.
– Informal economy work is also precarious, not
Even if she worked in a formal recycling plant, protected by national occupational health and
however, she would not be protected because the safety laws, and the workers are not eligible for
regulations on safe exposure levels were based on social protection benefits.
studies that solely investigated safe levels for men,
since only men worked in recycling plants at the
time they were conducted.
4 When she is 13 years old, Amiyna gets her first – In many countries, the majority of young women
period. She and her mother must now decide are unaware of the details of menstruation; in
on what menstrual hygiene method to use. terms of sanitary products, they often cannot
Like the vast majority of menstruators in their afford them, and do not know how to use or
country, they cannot afford sanitary products so have a hygienic place in which to use them.
must use often unsafe materials such as rags
– Disposable single-use plastic-based sanitary
and sawdust. No one has ever talked to Amiyna
products are not available to the poorest
about her period, and she feels uncomfortable
people. Reusable products such as a silicone
discussing it with anyone in her community.
cup can be a good alternative to unsafe
Despite the fact that disposable menstrual
materials, but high costs, cultural taboos (and
products are meant to be provided free to
lack of behavioural change campaigns to
adolescents through a government initiative,
address them) may result in a lack of take-up.
Amiyna is missed by the programme because
she does not attend school or have a formal – When designing cultural acceptability, safety
workplace, and her dwelling is not on the formal and simplicity, as well as financial accessibility,
grid. These factors also mean that Amiyna’s may not be taken into account without
small community is often missed or overlooked a diverse design team whose members
in planning processes and consultations for understand the needs of the broader
the larger district in which she lives. Some population. Women, however, are vastly
community members also believe that their under-represented in the science, engineering,
exclusion is rooted in the fact that they are an technology and mathematics (STEM) field and
ethnic minority group that lacks respect and in technical roles in the plastics industry, and
representation from the majority population and market research may often miss marginalized
government administration. communities in product research and design.
Guide to Ensure Gender-Responsive Action in Eliminating Plastic Pollution 95 Amiyna now has a family of her own. On top of – There are differences in consumer behaviour
her work in waste collection and sorting, Amiyna related to plastics and plastic waste disposal,
is responsible for the family’s shopping, cooking with women often having significantly
and cleaning, as well as caring for her children, more favourable attitudes regarding
parents-in-law and husband, as is the custom in environmental and ethical practices and
her community. She makes decisions about how their willingness to use their consumer
to dispose of waste in her home. Due to economic power to influence companies and
constraints, when Amiyna buys products with governments to change these.17
plastic packaging, she often reuses the plastic
– However, solutions and behavioural change
longer than it is safe to do so, and when she
campaigns must take into account the needs
disposes of it, it often ends up in the river, on the
and impact on women, particularly considering
ground or burned without containment processes.
that the burden of change and extra time
There are community workers who come door-to-
needed will largely be borne by them.
door to provide her with information on how she
can avoid allowing her plastic waste to leak into
the nearby river. She does not want to pollute her
community, but the disposal centre is too far away
and she already spends all of her “free time” on her
domestic duties.
6 Around the moment when Amiyna will have – These gaps during women’s working years
grandchildren, her husband passes away. Amiyna feed significant gender gaps in old-age income
has no pension because she was never in the security, in the form of far fewer women being
formal economy and will now need to rely on eligible for contributory pension payouts and
the formal wage earners in her extended family earning substantially lower income from work
and community for economic security, making late in life.18
her more vulnerable to old-age poverty.
Women are over-represented in low-productivity
sectors, informal work and part-time work. Not
only do they have more problems procuring paid
employment and generally receive lower wages
and fewer benefits than men, they also suffer from
higher levels of irregular payments. Frequently, they
are expected or forced to give their earnings to
their husbands or other family members.
Guide to Ensure Gender-Responsive Action in Eliminating Plastic Pollution 102 Principles for
gender-inclusive
plastic pollution action
Guide to Ensure Gender-Responsive Action in Eliminating Plastic Pollution 11A Gender mainstreaming guidance for all actors
in the plastics value chain and plastic pollution
action community
Principle 1 Disaggregate collected and shared data by sex as well as other
variables as appropriate. Include gender indicators in the collection
of data where relevant
Rationale: consider wider gender inequalities and gender
Data disaggregation is a fundamental step in policy bias in data collection methods and tools. In
analysis, product research, marketing and project addition, gender indicators have the potential to
planning and implementation. It allows the actor reflect different groups of women and men and
to understand the true needs and experience of a support the analysis of intersecting inequalities
population, instead of taking an average number, (see above listed stratifiers).19
which can mask extreme privileges held by some
populations compared with others. Aggregated – When not available, the collection of,
data will often lead to fragmented actions that do or advocating for the collection of
not provide an accurate reflection of reality. As disaggregated data should be a
has been widely noted by plastic pollution action priority action.20
stakeholders, sex-disaggregated information,
particularly on health and paid and unpaid labour, – Data collection should be undertaken with
is missing in the plastic pollution action space. The adequate safeguards for confidentiality
same is also true with regard to other communities and anonymity, and safe data storage, in
that often have very different experiences and accordance with international research
impacts within the plastics sector. ethics standards.
Implementation notes: – Time-use surveys are useful to better
– Data should be disaggregated by sex and any understand gender-differentiated roles
of the following as appropriate and available: and responsibilities and illustrate existing
age, ethnicity, religion, health status, sexual gender-differentiated time burdens that in
orientation and/or gender identity, disability, many countries lead women to suffer from
location, economic status, education level, time poverty, limiting their lives, livelihoods
migrant status, geographic area (rural/urban and empowerment in myriad ways, including
and/or geographic unit of relevance). These limiting opportunities to participate in income-
stratifiers include the internationally prohibited generating activities, education and leisure time.
grounds of discrimination. Time-use surveys could be used, for example,
to assess waste management labour (paid and
– Gender indicators should also be included unpaid) in the informal economy or time spent
in data collection where relevant. While sex- on household plastics shopping, use, recycling
disaggregated data refers to collecting and and waste management. It could also be used
breaking down data separately for women to assess the impact of pilot solutions and
and men, gender indicators go deeper as they products on the time of women and men.21
Principle 2 If a sex- or gender-based inequality in terms of risk, access,
exposure, benefit or outcome is identified, undertake an analysis
of laws, policies, norms and practices to locate the causes of
the inequality
Rationale: Implementation notes:
Analysis of the root causes of inequalities faced – Analyse quantitative and qualitative
by specific populations is necessary to develop evidence. Quantitative evidence includes e.g.
gender-sensitive or responsive action, as well as for census, surveys, administrative data; qualitative
monitoring and evaluation. It facilitates the adaptation data includes e.g. interviews and user surveys.
of policies, products, projects and programmes to
the needs of those disproportionately affected by – Identify root causes of inequality that explain
targeting the deeper issue leading to inequality as the inequalities pinpointed in the data or
part of the wider action. secondary sources. These will be related to,
Guide to Ensure Gender-Responsive Action in Eliminating Plastic Pollution 12for example, laws, policies, norms and practices action plans, guidelines, reports and other
that affect women and men differently, and technical documents.
particularly those from marginalized populations.
Marginalized populations often include persons – Analyse the inequalities in a way that supports
living in rural areas, people with disabilities, mainstreaming of gender from the outset.
those living in the lowest wealth quintiles, young
persons and religious, ethnic and racialized – In practice, a gender analysis will often
minorities. It is essential not to look at women result in the identification of barriers and
and men as a single homogenous group as inequalities faced by women, girls and
some women and men face different forms men who do not conform to traditional
and levels of discrimination. Analysing the male stereotypes, particularly those from
intersections of these forms of discrimination is marginalized communities. Be aware, however,
the only way to isolate populations that are the that a gender analysis may also uncover poor
most negatively affected by actions. outcomes or increased exposures for men due
to masculinist societal expectations and norms.
– To identify root causes of inequality, in
some cases it may be necessary to look at Tip:
secondary sources and analysis22 to identify It can often be difficult to undertake a gender
some of the deeper-rooted and hidden analysis on large projects without some background
gender norms that are difficult to extract knowledge on gender and human rights.23
due to cultural taboos or because the data Consider investing in expertise in this area to
collection process was not sensitive to gender ensure action is not perpetuating gender inequality
considerations in the first place. by reinforcing harmful norms, roles and relations or
inadvertently privileging one group at the expense of
– Outline inequalities and their root another. Free online courses are available, such as
causes in key documents, including in the GBA+ course, an introduction to intersectional
planning, workplans, strategies, frameworks, gender analysis from the Canadian government.24
Principle 3 Facilitate the public availability of collected and analysed gender-
related data and evidence
Rationale: – Any organizational communications plan
Without public availability of data, policy-makers, should include gender equality as an integral
implementers and others cannot make informed component to help ensure that gender and
decisions on investing, project planning and plastics data and knowledge is systematically
programme design, including budgeting, design of disseminated where available.
participatory approaches, implementation plans,
and monitoring and evaluation. – Organizations that have undertaken a
gender audit (see principle 4) may
Sharing of data with and by civil society publicly share the results and/or
organizations, international organizations, the recommendations for transparency
private sector and government actors strengthens and encourage other organizations to
the sector’s ability to drive forward a gender- undertake similar action.
responsive plastic action agenda. In particular, it
may be constructive to share gender inequality – Gender-sensitive language, data and evidence
and plastics data with large multisectoral platforms should be integrated into all materials,
as a way to expand important messages outside prioritizing public materials. Recall that gender
of the plastic pollution action space and among goes beyond female and male categories and
governments, civil society and the public. organizations should provide accurate and
understandable evidence, data and content
Implementation notes: on female/male subpopulation groups, paying
– Any knowledge or data that has been collected attention to individuals and groups that have
on gender equality in plastic pollution should historically faced marginalization, discrimination
be systematically documented and publicly or stigmatization. For a better understanding of
shared in order to counter the current deficit of this intersectional approach to gender, see “A
public information in this sphere. note on terms” in the introduction.
Guide to Ensure Gender-Responsive Action in Eliminating Plastic Pollution 13Principle 4 Include clear accountability, at the senior level and for all staff, for
gender mainstreaming in the action area
Rationale: – Accountability must also be for the
Under SDG 5.1, all governments are tasked with programme, not just its staff. Reporting,
ending all forms of discrimination against all women monitoring and evaluation of the programme
and girls everywhere. Within the private sector, most should be gender-sensitive. This means ensuring
companies have committed to gender equality within that programme performance indicators are
their institutions and processes and in their corporate gender-sensitive and measurable and that
social responsibility commitments to the public. For sex-disaggregated baseline data is identified
civil society and international organizations, human and collected to assist in the monitoring of the
rights and gender equality have long served as the programme’s gender equality results.
grounding principles that drive mandates.
– Another useful tool for programme
Gender mainstreaming is therefore not a accountability is a gender audit, which
novel concept, nor is it irrelevant to any plastic may be undertaken every five years or
pollution actors. Institutions that integrate gender more. There are many excellent audits that
considerations into their core processes ensure that an organization can undertake (see endnote
gender will be taken into account for the duration for suggestions).25 A gender audit is a useful
of their mandate – not only within the institution tool to ensure transparent and unbiased
itself, but in the programmatic work they undertake. evaluation of gender mainstreaming and is
Gender mainstreaming ensures that organizations valued by investors, clients, partners, the
illustrate the importance of gender-responsive working public and other stakeholders.
environments, policies, products, programmes and
processes by putting these into practice. – Accountability goes beyond programmatic
work and extends to accountability for an
A main part of gender mainstreaming for every inclusive culture at the organization. All
plastic pollution actor is to ensure that all staff are workers must feel safe, empowered and that
accountable for mainstreaming gender into their they do not face discrimination in any form. This
work to fulfill their mandate, as opposed to limiting translates to a:
the work to a designated gender team or focal point.
This will involve capacity-building (see principle – Detailed and visible code of conduct that
5) and the allocation of adequate resources (see includes a definition of and prohibition of
principle 7), but it starts with accountability. sexual harassment26 and clear instructions
for complaints
Implementation notes:
– To achieve accountability, all terms of reference for – Senior-level accountability (articulated in the
staff, including at the senior level, should incorporate terms of reference) for ensuring promotion
responsibility for mainstreaming gender into all of gender equality, diversity and non-
deliverables and allocate training time to undertake discrimination within the team, and internal
a training on gender mainstreaming. and public championing of gender equality
Principle 5 Undertake systematic and effective capacity-building for gender
mainstreaming for staff, project implementers, evaluators, clients,
beneficiaries and other stakeholders
Rationale: – Details on training courses can be found
Mainstreaming gender into diverse areas of the plastics on the UN Women Training for Gender
value chain and plastic pollution action space requires Equality Community of Practice (CoP)
significant capacity and knowledge. The best way to platform.27 UN Women has also produced
ensure systematic gender-sensitive action is to ensure a Compendium of Good Practices for
that considering and seeking to practise gender equality Training in Gender Equality.28 The simple
is second nature to all staff. Gender-sensitive action is and quick Gender Based Analysis+ training
not a one-time initiative, but rather requires persistent by the Canadian government is useful as a
and dedicated integration into all actions. free online resource.29 Additionally, there are
many tailored gender-mainstreaming, gender
Implementation notes: equality and gender-awareness trainings for
– All staff should have the necessary tools the private and public sector. Many private
and knowledge to integrate gender-sensitive companies have also created tailored online
and responsive actions into their work. This trainings courses that can be purchased by
requires mandatory gender mainstreaming organizations for their staff.
training for all staff, including senior managers.
Guide to Ensure Gender-Responsive Action in Eliminating Plastic Pollution 14Principle 6 Promote and support the meaningful participation of diverse
individuals and communities when planning, implementing,
monitoring and evaluating an action
Rationale: – Meaningful participation should also
Meaningful participation requires that individuals are be sought beyond sex categories to
entitled to participate in the decisions that directly include other intersecting identifications,
affect them. Meaningful participation is a human conditions or statuses, such as people
rights principle and a means to more effective with disabilities, adolescents, older people,
action, as it aims to ensure all perspectives and Indigenous populations, ethnic minorities,
voices are heard and integrated. Afro-descendants, people identifying as LGBTI,
migrants and many other groups.
Implementation notes:
– Meaningful participation requires that – Diverse participation from a multidisciplinary
individuals and/or the organizations that and geographic perspective is also
represent them participate in the decisions important in governance. Whatever the
that directly affect them, including in regards governance structure at the organization,
to the design, implementation and monitoring department, team, etc., it should be inclusive of
and evaluation of the action, project and design gender diversity by ensuring 50/50 gender parity
solution, together with external or advisory and geographic balance (where appropriate).
groups for programmatic or normative work. When ensuring gender balance, it is not enough
This includes, for example, women and men to consider only gender, which will often lead to
and people with non-binary identities when only the most privileged women and men in a
programmes directly affect them. society having a voice. Consider diverse women
and men, including people with disabilities,
– Meaningful participation may take different LGBTI persons, people from racialized groups
forms depending on the actors, including and those from marginalized communities.
informing people with balanced, objective
information, gaining feedback from the affected – When hosting an event, ensure it is gender-
population in a community, involving or inclusive.31 Ensure that hosted panels and
working directly with communities, partnering panels that are attended by members of
with affected communities in each aspect of the organization are gender-inclusive: see,
decision-making, including the development for instance, the panel parity pledge by the
of plastic alternatives and identification of International Gender Champions.32 This is a
solutions, and empowering communities to pledge to host and sit on only gender-inclusive
retain ultimate control over the key decisions panels. It also enables the leadership to craft its
that affect their well-being.30 own gender equality goals publicly.
Principle 7 Allocate adequate levels of resources to implement the above
principles for each plastic pollution action
Rationale: – To ensure accountability for meeting the
The fulfilment of the other seven criteria is reliant on funding needs of gender equality objectives
adequate funding for planning, programme design, in the programmatic work, budgets should
implementation, capacity-building, etc. be measured by a financial resource-tracking
mechanism to quantify disbursement of funds
Implementation notes: that promote gender equality and women’s
– Resources are required to support empowerment (see section on policy-makers
disaggregation and analysis of data; under principle 8 for more information and
to collect further evidence if needed, resources on gender-responsive budgeting).
planning and implementing remedial actions
to address gaps in mainstreaming of gender;
to bring forward accountability mechanisms
and the participation of individuals and
communities; and to address capacity-
building needs.
– The level of funding required will differ
depending on the action, so a specific target
is not provided here. However, the allocated
budget should be commensurate with the
expected achievement.
Guide to Ensure Gender-Responsive Action in Eliminating Plastic Pollution 15B Actor-specific guidance to ensure gender-sensitive
and responsive action
Principle 8 Integrate gender considerations into all actions and take gender-
targeted action in order to reduce identified inequalities and
discriminatory practices
Rationale: General implementation notes:
Gender mainstreaming is important across – An action that is gender-sensitive or
the entire value chain in order to achieve a gender-responsive will look very different
sustainable solution to plastic pollution. for different actors. This is why the following
The exclusion of women and marginalized sections are tailored to different value-chain
groups from decision-making at the highest actors. The chief executive officer of a design
levels of policy, operations, planning and solutions company might consider becoming a
programme design has led to a fragmented Global Gender Champion and commit to sitting
response to plastic pollution. Numerous on panels with gender parity. The manager of
studies indicate that women’s attitude towards a plastic waste strategy might systematically
plastic pollution and prioritization of health and employ women from marginalized communities
profit lead to different behaviour and decision- who are often found in the informal economy,
making. Women’s over-representation in the adapting work schedules to their needs for
informal sector, as opposed to the formal flexible work.
plastics waste management economy, has
meant that not only do they benefit less – When taking action, an analysis of the gender
from their labour, but they are in less of a implications will allow the actors to ensure that
position to influence their sector and at a minimum they are not contributing to
the environment. gender inequality; ideally, the actions can also
contribute to dismantling existing inequalities.
Exclusion from the more formalized, powerful
spaces in the plastics value chain occurs despite – For actions involving measurement such as
the fact that women around the world are more baseline surveys and monitoring and evaluation,
often the ones making the decisions regarding gender-inclusive metrics and measurement
plastics purchases for the households and the methodologies are essential to drive informed
disposal of plastic waste at the end of use. action and tackle plastic pollution issues at
Finally, women and men have different risks, source. Those who are not measured will not
exposure and impact from plastic pollution be accounted for in the solution. Therefore, it
due to biological and socioeconomic factors. is essential that any metrics and measurement
No meaningful transition to a circular plastics methodologies include systematic sex-
economy can take place that does not meet disaggregation and gender indicators in the
the needs of all of the people who stand to baseline and throughout the lifetime of the
lose or benefit. data-taking.
Policy-makers/regulators
Issue: Occupational segregation in the waste limited decision-making authority about how the
management sector, with women concentrated businesses operate.
in the informal economy and lower-paid, lower-
skills jobs Women are also often involved at the lower end
At the waste management level of the value chain, of the waste sorting/recycling value chain and
gender equality would mean better protection for their work takes place in municipal waste sites,
workers, more women participating in the formal dumpsites and landfills, while the higher-value
economy and more sustainable solutions. businesses in the recycling sector are predominantly
owned or operated by men.34 Informal economy
There is significant occupational gender work is also precarious and not protected by
segregation in the informal plastics industry, national laws, and the workers are not eligible for
with women’s participation in the informal waste social protection benefits. Female informal-sector
management sector disproportionately high in waste workers also report that they experience
many countries.33 In this context, women may high rates of sexual harassment and the risk of
also be working as unpaid family workers or have sexual assault.35
Guide to Ensure Gender-Responsive Action in Eliminating Plastic Pollution 16Informal-sector waste management work is likely When assessing a solution, consider:
to be reduced significantly in the transition to a
more circular plastics economy, and case studies – Are there existing community solutions that
from formalization in several countries indicate already do this well or that could be adapted to
that women disproportionately lose out on jobs meet the need?
once formalized, due to various factors.36 Related
solutions and new approaches therefore also – Will the proposed solution lead to any changes
need to find ways to ensure that they include in female and male employment in either the
gender-inclusive mitigation strategies for those informal or formal waste management sector?
who will lose out on employment and income and Who will lose or gain income? Will working
ensure that the employment and income gains conditions and input into related decision-
generated are both equitable and do not reinforce making change for either sex?
existing gender imbalances and inequalities.
There is an urgent need to ensure that both – What are the non-financial barriers to the
women and men working in this sector are adoption of profitable circular economy
able to benefit from the shift to more formal- approaches?
sector work.
– Are public consultations regarding the location
Solution: Make waste management of future waste collection sites organized at
work for women times and places that allow both women and
The first step for policy-makers will be to men to participate actively?
conduct relevant gender analyses to inform
the development of new government policy – Are consultations with the private sector on
and regulations related to waste management circular economy-related issues inclusive of
systems and the plastics industry. This all types and sizes of businesses, including
includes using data to determine which types small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
of occupational segregation already exist, why and microenterprises, plus businesses owned
women and men are concentrated in certain by women – noting that the majority of women
occupations and how this affects women’s business owners are found in SMEs (combined
and men’s incomes in the sector. It will also with microenterprises).
include determining:
– That related services, such as healthcare,
– What are the gender-specific occupational childcare and maternity and paternity leave, are
challenges, hazards or safety issues of working necessary to ensure women can participate
with waste? equally to men.
– What are the needs of women and men During the transition to more formalized waste
workers in relation to their domestic/household management work, it is essential to support
labour roles? workers in the informal economy by developing a
safe means for informal-sector waste workers to
Once a gender analysis is complete, exercise their labour and social rights. SDG 5.4
solutions should be proposed that help establishes a target to “recognize and value unpaid
formalize waste management systems, particularly care and domestic work through the provision of
with regard to the recycling of plastics, and public services, infrastructure and social protection
include strategies and measures to ensure that policies and the promotion of shared responsibility
women and men currently working in the informal within the household and the family as nationally
sector do not lose income or employment due to appropriate”. Much of the informal economy labour
this transition. borne by women is unpaid family labour. Women
are also often in the informal economy in order
to accommodate their domestic labour roles.
Governments should build awareness of women’s
Note that not all solutions and innovations social rights (access to education, legal recourse
need to be top-down or science-driven. against crime, access to healthcare, etc.) among
There are many examples of community-based informal-sector waste workers and ensure that
waste management solutions – often initiated social protection policies reach them.37
by local women’s organizations – that have
been successfully scaled up and represent Issue: Current guidelines for safe exposure
viable models that can be applied in multiple levels to plastics are not gender-inclusive
contexts. Investing in such schemes has There is a critical knowledge gap globally in sex-
generated a good return for all stakeholders based differential exposures, risks and effects
involved. In practice, this means supporting related to plastic. Plastic pollution and exposure
the formalization of existing informal systems to plastic have a differential impact on women’s
and collectives and ensuring that the flexibility and men’s health for two reasons. The first is
needed by women working in the informal that women’s and men’s different gender roles at
economy is maintained in the transition. home and work can lead to them being exposed
to different degrees of hazardous plastic waste or
Guide to Ensure Gender-Responsive Action in Eliminating Plastic Pollution 17You can also read
