Chapter 8: Women Driving Change for Solid Waste Management in Rural Karnataka

Solid waste management (SWM) in developing countries, particularly India, relies on diverse actors like informal waste pickers, employed/contracted waste collectors, scrap dealers, aggregators, etc. When examining this workforce from a gender lens, a clear demarcation of responsibilities is observed; with men typically occupying better-paid value-added roles such as transportation, trade and recycling, whereas women predominantly engage in waste collection and sorting. Recognising the need for diversification and greater participation of women in rural economic development, the Government of India is empowering Self-Help Groups (SHGs) through poverty alleviation schemes such as the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM). Even the Swachh Bharat Mission encourages involvement of women-led SHGs in waste management, thereby fostering their income generation, financial inclusion and social empowerment. Saahas, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to creating sustainable waste management systems across the country, has closely observed and supported the growing participation of women in waste management. This chapter explores how these initiatives have impacted the lives and livelihoods of women, particularly in rural areas. A survey was conducted to record the inputs of women waste workers in six districts across Karnataka, most of whom were upskilled under the NLRM to drive waste collection vehicles. While income enhancement was the most obvious inference, most of the women also reported a host of other positive outcomes, like reduced instances of domestic violence, more participatory decision-making at family and village levels, etc. This research paves the way for widespread adoption and replication of such initiatives in other parts of the country.