By Dorothy Musyoka
In celebration of International Women’s Day, the Organization of African Youth (OAY), in collaboration with CRAWN Trust Kenya, Barnfonden, and WeWorld Kenya, hosted a transformative event focused on empowering women in waste management.
Under the Sikiliza Sauti Yetu, Dunia Inaita! (SSY) project, the event aimed to uplift young women from informal settlements by educating them on climate change, waste management, and sustainability.
The event held in partnership with the Nairobi County Government, brought together women waste workers, teen mothers, community-based organizations, educational institutions, and business enterprises.
Speaking at the event, Collins Okelo, Communication Strategist at OAY, emphasized the importance of recognizing the critical role played by women in waste management.
He noted that despite their essential contributions, women in this field often face stigma, unfair wages, and even cases of sexual harassment.
He noted that, “today’s event is going to be a perfect opportunity as many women, young women, teen mothers and few men had gathered to be empowered on why they need to be proud of their job.”
Beyond empowerment, the event tackled key challenges such as workplace discrimination, salary inequality, and sexual harassment.
To address these issues, OAY and its partners are working with civil society organizations like Kariobangi Social Justice to ensure cases of harassment and gender-based violence are documented and addressed.
One of the key highlights was the discussion on shifting from a linear economy to a circular economy.
Women in the sector are being encouraged to explore waste recovery systems, transforming waste into valuable resources.
With financial constraints limiting large-scale circular economy projects, the focus is currently on educating the public about household-level waste segregation.
As the world moves toward more sustainable practices, this initiative underscores the importance of including women in environmental solutions.