Gender and E-Waste
Policy Considerations
Hari Srinivas
Professor of Environmental Policy, Kwansei Gakuin University
and
Coorduinator, Global Development Research Center
Kobe, Japan
Email: hari.srinivas@kwansei.ac.jp
Why gender and e-waste?
Environmental
Problems
Technological
Solutions
Other solutions
Politically Feasible
Economically viable
Institutionally plausible
Unequal burdens,
responsibilities and
impacts
The Human Angle
Uncertain, insecure, risky
and criminalized working
conditions of the
informal sector
Lack of awareness
of health risks
Lack of business and
market networks
Lack of appropriate
skills and
technologies
Child-rearing
responsibilities and
safe living
environments
Low-incomes
Need for change
Changing consumer
thinking
Reduce
e-waste
Acknowledgement
and understanding of
the e-waste context
Changing recyclers
thinking
Changing manufacturers
thinking
Changing governments
thinking
Finding the middle ground
CSR policies
Design for
Environment
3R Policies
Microfinance
systems
Health and
childcare
E-Waste
issues
Gender
issues
Eco-Labelling
Pollution
prevention
Hazardous and
toxic waste
regulations
Job creation and
working
environments
Housing and
urban planning
Supportive Policy Contexts
Policies related
to informal
sector activities
Policies related
to poverty
alleviation and
job creation
Policies related
to education
and vocational
training
Policies related
to a green
economy
Policies related
to consumer
education
GENDER AND
E-WASTE
Policies related
to NGOs and
industry
organizations
Policies related
to gender
mainstreaming
GLOBAL: Producers & Recyclers
Rotterdam
Convention
Workers rights and
informal sector policies
National
Governments
MDGs / SDGs
WEEE
Directive
Stockholm
Convention
Workers groups and
organizations/NGOs
Train-the-trainers
Basel Convention
Civil society
participation
“Producer” countries
“Recycler” countries
LOCAL: Manufacturers & Recyclers
Design for
environment
Take-back
systems
E-Product
Manufacturers
EPR, CSR and
other initiatives
Distribution
of safety gear
Awareness and
education
E-Product
recyclers
Recycling market
streamlining
Material
labelling
Skills development and
on-the-job training
Pressure on the Industry
Industry
associations,
business groups
and Chambers of
commerce
National local
governments
Electronic
Industry
NGOs, universities and
training institutions
The GET Approach
Global
Level
Governance Systems
Education Systems
Technology Systems
National
Level
Local Level
Policy Cycle
Regulatory
Environment
Technology
and Product
Development
Awareness, capacities and training
Use and
disposal
GET Approach: GOVERNANCE
Laws, regulations and
codes/standards
Mass media and
industry buy-in
Eco-labelling
Regulatory
Environment
Public hearings
and townhall
meetings
Product and waste
tracking
GET Approach: EDUCATION
Community exhibitions
Info campaigns
through mass
media
Booklets and
posters
Awareness,
Education and
Training
Seminars and
community
meetings
On-the-job training
GET Approach: TECHNOLOGY
Eco-labelling
(including toxicity and
hazardous labels)
Packaging
systems
Life-cycle approach
Technology and
Product
Development
Design for the
environment
(including design for
disassembly)
Environmentally
sound technology
criteria
Challenges and Opportunities
Challenges
Opportunities
Problem of middlemen
Setup and manage industry organizations and NGOs
Problem of lack of skills
Training, capacity building , and on-the-job
workshops
Lack of
awareness
Organize seminars and
info campaigns
Lack of technologies
Development and sale of Training on disassembly
appropriate technology
Awareness of health
risks
Manufacture and sale of
safety equipment
On-site health clinics
Involvement of criminal
elements
Strong police and
customs action
Civil society monitoring
Training on DfE and
labelling
Stakeholder Analysis
Global Level
UN, multilateral
organizations, WBCSD
Regional Level
Bilateral agencies and
regional banks
National governments
National
Level
Local Level
Community
Level
Subnational/provincial
governments
Guidelines, policy
analysis, industry
trends, MEAs etc.
Long-term,
soft issues
Laws, regulations,
labelling, codes and
standards
Local governments and
agencies
NGOs, universities, research
institutions
Community groups, workers
unions
Public awareness
education,
workshops, training
Short-term,
hard issues
Takeaways …
• The real need here is for an acknowledgement and
understanding of the gender dimensions of e-waste
• There are a number of existing policies, strategies and laws at
both global and local levels that can be used to tackle the
challenges of gender and e-waste
• Lets agree: e-wastes need to be reduced and recycled – we
need to create a safe and healthy environment within which
this can happen
• Multi-stakeholder partnerships are key to tackle the many
challenges of e-waste processing and recycling – in both the
“producer” countries and “recycler” countries