ASSESSMENT REPORT Gender Assessment for the Environmental and Waste Management Project (P175996) Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) Contents Contents ........................................................................................................................................................... 1 Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................................... 3 Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................................... 4 Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................................. 10 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 11 1.1 Background and Objectives .................................................................................................................... 11 1.2 Structure of the Report ........................................................................................................................... 12 2 Methodology........................................................................................................................................... 13 2.1 Geographic Scope ................................................................................................................................... 13 2.2 Primary Data Collection .......................................................................................................................... 13 2.3 Final Sample ............................................................................................................................................ 15 2.4 Data Analysis and Reporting ................................................................................................................... 16 2.5 Limitations .............................................................................................................................................. 16 3 Context of Waste Management at District Level ...................................................................................... 17 3.1 Xaythany District, Vientiane Capital ....................................................................................................... 17 3.2 Naxaythong District, Vientiane Capital ................................................................................................... 19 3.3 Phonhong District, Vientiane Province ................................................................................................... 19 3.4 Xay District, Oudomxay Province ............................................................................................................ 20 4 Gender Profile of Public Administration at District Level.......................................................................... 22 4.1 Employment of Women in Public Administration of Waste Management ............................................ 22 4.2 Salaries and Benefits in Public Administration of Waste Management ................................................. 23 4.3 Opportunities for Professional Development in Public Administration of Waste Management............ 23 4.4 Identified Gender Gaps in Public Administration of Waste Management ............................................. 24 5 Gender Profile of Waste Management Workers ...................................................................................... 25 5.1 Employment of Women in Waste Management Service Companies ..................................................... 25 5.2 Male and Female Workers in Waste Management ................................................................................ 28 5.3 Salary Levels and Economic Security of Workers in Waste Management .............................................. 30 5.4 Employment Benefits and Social Security of Workers in Waste Management ...................................... 32 5.5 Opportunities for Professional Development for Waste Workers ......................................................... 33 5.6 Work-related Risks for Waste Workers .................................................................................................. 34 5.7 Domestic Workload and Household Decision-Making among Waste Workers ...................................... 36 5.8 Reasons to Work in Waste Management ............................................................................................... 38 5.9 Identified Gender Gaps for Waste Workers ........................................................................................... 40 Civitas Company Limited Page 1 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) 6 Children Working in Waste Management ................................................................................................ 43 6.1 Presence of Children at Waste Management Sites................................................................................. 43 6.2 Identified Risks for Children .................................................................................................................... 44 7 Gender Profile of Household Level Waste Management .......................................................................... 45 7.1 Household Characteristics ...................................................................................................................... 45 7.2 Control over Family Income and Household Responsibilities ................................................................. 47 7.3 Consumption Preferences ...................................................................................................................... 49 7.4 Gender in Household Waste Management ............................................................................................ 51 7.5 Household Satisfaction with Waste Collection Services ......................................................................... 53 7.6 Identified Gender Gaps at Household Level ........................................................................................... 54 8 Summary of Identified Gaps and Recommendations ............................................................................... 56 8.1 Summary of Identified Gender Gaps ...................................................................................................... 56 8.2 Identified Risks for Children .................................................................................................................... 57 8.3 Recommendations .................................................................................................................................. 57 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................... 62 Appendix 1: Survey Tools Appendix 2: Data Tables Civitas Company Limited Page 2 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) Acknowledgements This Gender Assessment for the Environmental Waste Management Project was completed during the design phase of the project and led by Maurice Rawlins, Senior Environmental Specialist of the World Bank Group in Lao PDR. Research and analysis were carried out by a team of consultants employed by Civitas Co., Ltd. and led by Mette Boatman, Managing Director. Team members included Emma Pelletreau, Senior Social Safeguard Specialist; Petra Fink, Gender Specialist; Yonghwan Nam, Data Manager and Analyst; Jodie Harker, Communication Specialist; and Field Researchers Vilaythong Chanthalinh, Akkhamoun Kanekeo, Tadam Khounphon, Airphone Sanephomchan, Khonesavan Phommachan, and Bouakhiew Phonepaseuth. The study received support and cooperation from various stakeholders in the solid waste management sector. Thank you to the City Office and government officials including; Vatsana Inseexiengmai in the Vientiane City Office for management and service, Xaythany District, Vientiane Capital; Kommala Duangdet, Vientiane City Office for management and service in Naxaythong District, Vientiane Capital; Keomanichan Sivoravong in the Office of Public Works and Transport in Phonhong District, Vientiane Province; and Siphan Samleeboun in the Urban Development and Administration Authority in Xay District, Oudomxay. Waste management companies who gave up their managers and workers time to the survey are; KM32 Landfill Management Office, Top-Co Waste Collection Company Limited, Green Inter Trade Company Limited, Ms. Pheng’s Recycling Shop, Mr. Ting’s Recycling Shop, Mr. Ling’s Recycling Shop, Ms. Thamthila’s Recycling Shop, Ms. Phuang’s Recycling Shop and Mr. Aon’s Recycling Shop all located in Xathany District, Vientiane Capital. Thank you also to the managers and workers of Vientiane Transfer Station in Xaysettha District as well as; Mr. Yongyei’s Waste Collection Shop, Ms. Lamkeo’s Waste Collection Shop, Mr. Khua’s Recycling Shop and Ms. Oulaiphone’s Recycling Shop in Phonhong District and finally Viengchalernxay Waste Collection Company Limited, Laodee Waste Collection Company Limited and Keoxay Trade Import-Export Sole Company Limited in Xay District, for your support and cooperation. Finally, we would like to thank every individual who participated in the survey and enabled the successful implementation of this Gender Assessment of the Solid Waste Management sector in Lao PDR. Civitas Company Limited Page 3 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) Executive Summary Background & Objectives The Environment and Waste Management Project (EWMP) aims to support the Government of Lao PDR (GOL) to reach its objectives, as stated in the National Green Growth Strategy 2030; to implement policies and investment actions focused on renewable resources, pollution and waste management. Every city needs adequate investments in infrastructure and to strengthen institutional capacity in policy, planning implementation and enforcement. Gender is a cross-cutting issue for project preparation requirements. In particular, there is the need to understand gender dimensions of the planned project and to identify gender gaps and resulting actions that could help to address these gaps or any other gender concerns. As of 2017, all World Bank financed operations are expected to apply the Gender Tag. The tag seeks to distinguish projects that: i) in the analysis in the Project Appraisal Document (PAD), identify gaps relevant to the four pillars of the World Bank Group Gender Strategy; 2) aim to address these gaps through specific actions supported by the project; and 3) link them to indicators in the Results Framework (RF). In this way, the Gender Tag focuses on the quality and depth of the project’s outcomes, rather than on processes and quantitative measurement alone. In order to understand the gender dimensions of the project and identify gender gaps the objectives of this Gender Assessment are to: • provide analytical inputs for the preparation of the Environmental and Waste Management Project (EWMP) in the form of recommendations for specific gender-relevant activities and investments in the EWMP; • develop relevant indicators for the monitoring of any gender-relevant aspects of environmental and waste management; • provide policy recommendations and suggestions of potential interventions to improve work conditions for informal waste workers involved in waste collection and recycling. The assessment was conducted with a ‘mixed-methods’ methodology, combining both quantitative and qualitative data collection. The data collection was carried out in the four districts targeted by the EWMP, Xaythany and Naxaythong District in Vientiane Capital, Phonhong in Vientiane Province, and Xay District in Oudomxay Province. The final sample consisted of a total of 161 individuals, including 4 public administration officials, 17 managers of waste management services, 60 waste workers, and 80 household members. Gender Gaps in Public Administration of Waste Management At national level, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) are responsible for solid waste management in Lao PDR. In Vientiane Capital the Vientiane City Office for Management and Service (VCOMS) is responsible for solid waste management and on provincial level the Urban Development and Administration Authority (UDAA). The departments in the two districts in Vientiane Capital, Xaythany and Naxaythong have significantly higher ratio of female staff compared to the departments in Phonhong or Xay Districts. This gap can be connected to further implications such as economic security, stagnating professional development, and lack of access to different opportunities for female staff in public administration especially in the provinces. Civitas Company Limited Page 4 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) The employment of female staff is mainly concentrated in the technical or administrative positions. Two out of four districts have female directors namely in VCOMS in Xaythany and Naxaythong, Vientiane Capital. A possible hindering factor for the disparity in number of female workers by location is the difference in education levels in the capital and provinces. Salaries in public administration are set according to position centrally and no type of active discrimination of female staff at the HR policy level was reported. However, there are no HR policies set up to mitigate or improve the current status of disproportionate gender ratio or to safeguard women in the workplace. Identified Gender Gaps in public administration of waste management at district level includes: • access to jobs; • access to higher paid positions and • access to opportunities for professional development. Gaps in Employment of Women in Waste Management Interviews with the managers of companies engaging in waste management were conducted at the landfill in Xaythany district; at the waste transfer site in Xaysettha district; waste collection companies, and small recycling shops. Relatively few women are employed in any of these companies. No women are employed on the landfill and if women are employed at the waste transfer site or in waste collection companies, they are working in administration. The largest proportion of women are employed in recycling shops. These are typically smaller family owned and run businesses. Barriers for Employment of Women Statements by the company managers clearly show that work in the waste management sector is highly gendered with strong perceptions of what work is appropriate for men and women. While men and women are considered equally capable to carry out administrative tasks, contracted manual labour in the waste management sector is perceived a male-oriented profession with women mainly working as day-to-day manual laborers on the landfill or where they separate recyclables to sell. Lower education levels may also hinder female participation in the formal waste sector, where employers possibly demand a certain degree of formal schooling completed with acceptable literacy levels. The study finds that female waste workers generally show lower education levels than their male counterparts. Finally, site managers stated that even if women did apply for work, they may still not be employed by the company due to the distance to work being considered too far for a woman to travel on her own. Barriers for Women to Seek Employment The waste workers who were interviewed are those who were available on the day of the survey across the locations of the targeted waste management services. This included labourers of which most identified themselves as contracted labourers, some as day-to-day labourers and some as informal waste pickers. None of the interviewed contracted manual labourers are female, while women constitute 50% of interviewed day-to-day labourers and 75% of interviewed informal waste pickers. The main reason women give for the interest in working in the informal sector is the flexibility on work hours. Women have significant decision-making power within the household, however they also have an extra workload. Women are responsible for the majority of household chores, including childcare – this leads to an interest in seeking informal work, where flexible working hours are possible and/or the option of taking the children with them. Civitas Company Limited Page 5 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) The opportunity to make a good earning as a waste picker is another possible barrier for formal employment. The average monthly income reported by waste pickers is higher than the other types of labour at 2.730.000 LAK/month. Salaries and Financial Security Formal workers tend to earn less than waste pickers, however they have the financial security of a regular income source. Female waste pickers tend to earn less than their male counterparts, most likely because of the extra domestic workload resulting in women spending fewer hours on the economic work. Waste picking is a highly volatile income stream with limited bargaining power of individual waste pickers. Unlike collection in the streets, recyclables recovered at the landfill are generally soiled and are exchanged at considerably lower rates than clean recyclables. The fluctuation of prices of recyclables depends on the market price. It can be different every day and thus pose a major income risk, alongside not finding any recyclables to collect. Benefits and Social Security Close to half of the female workers (mainly waste pickers) state that there is no benefit in their current position. Only a few of the interviewed formally contracted manual labourers have access to health insurance and are enrolled in the SSO. None have received any form of professional development. Enrolment in SSO provides access to free health care, paid sick leave, work accident compensation and a pension. For women it also provides access to three months paid maternity leave. The majority of both female and male respondents express a desire to be enrolled in SSO. If such benefits were indeed provided by formal employment it could encourage informal workers to seek formal employment. As the primary carers, female workers are in need of childcare and schooling benefits. Flexibility of their working hours is the main benefit emphasised by the day-to-day labourers and waste pickers, which may allow them to provide care for their children or complete other household chores. Work Related Risks in Waste Management The two major risks identified by waste labourers are that the work is dirty and the toxic fumes from the waste are unhealthy. Both female and male waste pickers are worried about the possibility of disease. Another reported work-related risk is road accidents. A lack of recognition of these and other risks generally, are an indication of the lack of training received. Additionally, there is a lack of access to PPE for people working in the sector, in both formally employed positions and amongst informal waste pickers. Identified Gender Gaps for waste workers includes: • access to formal employment • strong perceptions of gender roles and social stigma • access to education • domestic workload – unpaid versus paid work • access to social security • access to opportunities for professional development • access to a safe work environment Civitas Company Limited Page 6 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) Children at Risk There are reports of children working in all areas of waste management. Most children are involved in scavenging for recyclables and selling them at the recycling shops. The most dangerous area that children are working or helping families is the landfill site. Female waste labourers are worried about their children and if they should bring them to work or allow them to stay home alone. Eight out of 30 waste labourers and waste pickers at the landfill believe children and youth workers should be allowed to work there to earn money and help their parents’ work. Identified Risks for Children in waste management includes: • access to education • access to a safe work environment Gender Gaps in Household Waste Management Interviews at household level were conducted to develop an understanding of the gendered domestic roles with a focus on waste production and waste management in the household, environmental perceptions and attitudes and how these may affect consumption preferences and risk concerns. It was found that women play a major role both in household production of waste based on consumption choices, as well as in the household level management of waste. Women are mainly responsible for waste separation and therefore, face greater health risks when disposing of and burning waste. Families who are not using waste collection services burn their waste, putting women and children at risk of becoming sick from toxic fumes triggered by burning could be decreased. As women are largely in control of the household income, and responsible for expenditures related to waste management (food and other household products, drinking water and waste collection), any fees or taxes implemented or increased in relation to waste production (ie plastic bags and bottles, higher fees of collection services etc.) could negatively impact women. Female household members could be held responsible for higher expenditures for grocery shopping, and this could lead to imbalance within the household. Identified Gender Gaps in household waste management includes: • health burden of waste management • financial burden of waste management Recommendations In order to address the major gaps identified above, a number of recommendations with supporting indicators are proposed in the table below. 1 Transitioning female day-to-day labourers and waste pickers into formal employment Actions: Indicator: • creating jobs specifically targeting female - Number of jobs targeting women created at workers, new/existing waste management sites. • research what tasks are most suitable and attractive for women, and • providing capacity building for female workers. Civitas Company Limited Page 7 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) 2 Setting quotas for female employment Action: Indicator: • setting and clearly communicating quotas for - Number of female day-to-day labourers and female employment in jobs created waste pickers transitioned into formal jobs. 3 Increasing skills of female manual labourers Action: Indicators: • providing task specific trainings and basic - Number of female unskilled workers who have education targeting female workers. completed task trainings. - Number of female unskilled workers who have completed basic education courses. 4 Increasing the job attractiveness for women Actions: Indicator: • ensuring that all new jobs provide appropriate - Number of female workers employed and social benefits, at least SSO enrolment or receiving full benefit package. another option for health and accident insurance, pension and paid sick and maternity leave, • providing access to childcare and school in form of financial support for caregivers for children under 6 and children of school age. 5 Providing a safe work environment for waste workers Actions: Indicators: • assessing health and safety risks at supported - Number of public and private waste companies waste management sites, and with improved safety standards and protocols. • developing and implementing protocols for - Number of formal waste workers and informal safety training and use of PPE. waste pickers reached with adequate PPE and workplace safety trainings. 6 Raising awareness on the employability of women among employers Actions: Indicators: • provision of attractive jobs, appropriate - Number of female staff employed in public training and quotas for female employment and administration and in public and private waste enrolment in trainings, and companies. • gender trainings with staff of public - Number of companies with HR and specific administration and public and private waste hiring policies that promote gender equality. companies. - Number of gender awareness trainings conducted. Civitas Company Limited Page 8 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) 7 Restricting access to waste management sites to those under 14 Actions: Indicators: • developing and implementing protocols for - Number of child free waste management sites. child safety, and - Number of caregivers receiving financial benefit • providing financial support for caregivers who for school enrolment. can provide documentation to prove school enrolment for all ages. Civitas Company Limited Page 9 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) Abbreviations AF Additional Financing DPF Development Policy Financing ECCDA Environment Conservation and Community Development Association ECE Early Childhood Education EWMP Environmental and Waste management Project GGGI Global Green Growth Institute GOL Government of Lao PDR HR Human Resources IPF Investment Project Financing LAK Lao Kip LFND Lao Front for National Development LWU Lao Women’s Union MONRE Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment MPWT Ministry of Public Works and Transport PAD Project Appraisal Document PforR Program-for-Results PPE Personal Protective Equipment PSEA Protection against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse RF Results Framework SAICM Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management SSO Social Security Organisation SWM Solid Waste Management UDDA Urban Development Administrative Authority VCOMS Vientiane City Office for Management and Service Civitas Company Limited Page 10 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) 1 Introduction 1.1 Background and Objectives Gender is a cross-cutting issue for project preparation requirements. In particular, there is the need to understand gender dimensions of planned projects and to identify gender gaps, and resulting actions, that could help to address these gaps or any other gender concerns. The recommendations will be used to gender tag the project. From 2017, all World Bank financed IBRD and IDA operations, including Investment Project Financing (IPF) and Additional Financing (AF), Program-for-Results (PforR), and Development Policy Financing (DPF) are expected to apply the gender tag. The tag seeks to distinguish projects that: i) in the analysis in the Project Appraisal Document (PAD), identify gaps relevant to the four pillars of the World Bank Group Gender Strategy; 2) aim to address these gaps through specific actions supported by the project; and 3) link them to indicators in the Results Framework (RF). In this way, the Gender Tag focuses on the quality and depth of the project’s outcomes, rather than on processes and quantitative measurement alone. The objectives of this Gender Assessment therefore are to: • provide analytical inputs for the preparation of the Environmental and Waste Management Project (EWMP) in the form of recommendations for specific gender-relevant activities and investments in the EWMP; • develop relevant indicators for the monitoring of any gender-relevant aspects of environmental and waste management; • provide policy recommendations and suggestions of potential interventions to improve work conditions for informal waste workers involved in waste collection and recycling. In line with the National Green Growth Strategy 2030, Lao PDR is working to implement policies and investment actions focused on renewable resources, pollution and waste management and environmental fiscal instruments. As the country increasingly urbanises, the lack of essential infrastructure and municipal services dedicated to spatial and urban development planning becomes more pronounced. Every city needs adequate investments in infrastructure and to strengthen institutional capacity in policy, planning implementation and enforcement. The EWMP aims to support the Government of Lao PDR (GOL) to reach its objectives and increase its capacity to address a range of environmental issues, including pollution and waste management. The study of gender is relevant not only to assess the degree of men and women’s participation in connection with all aspects of waste management but also to better understand how gender roles themselves influence these aspects. As illustrated in Figure 1, all aspects of waste management are gendered; from household consumption and thereby production of waste, to the people managing and working in waste management service companies, and to the Figure 1: Gender in the waste management chain very public administration systems responsible for waste management. However, very little data exists on these gendered dimensions of the waste management sector in the Lao context. A literature review presented in the Inception Report for this study, thus identified large information gaps including information about the gendered differences in men and women’s roles, salary levels, social protection and opportunities for career advancement in the various levels of the waste management sector; and information about men and women’s agency, in terms of their career aspirations and understanding of own Civitas Company Limited Page 11 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) position, imposed risks and opportunities for mitigation and/or career advancement. Finally, in relation to the understanding of any gender implications related to household waste production and waste management a gap was found in the information about men and women’s domestic roles, their access and control of resources, about men and women’s environmental knowledge and concerns, and the extent to which these may affect their respective preferences and practices. This Gender Assessment was designed to provide a site-specific gender profile of each level of waste management starting from the government administration, the waste management service providers, and ending with the household production and management of waste. 1.2 Structure of the Report This Report consists of eight Sections. After this initial introduction to the study objectives and report structure, Section 2 will present the study methodology and discuss study limitations. The presentation of key findings begins in Section 3, with brief introduction to the context of waste management in each of the four target locations: Xaythany and Naxaythong districts in Vientiane Capital, and Phonhong and Xay districts, the capital areas of Vientiane Province and Oudomxay Province respectively. The introduction is focused on the process of waste management from household level to disposal and final treatment thereof, to identify major social and health risks associated with the work in this sector. The gender profile of employment in public administration of waste management in the four targeted districts is presented in Section 4. It is based on interviews with four key informants representing the main government body responsible for waste management in each location. Each informant reported on numbers of men and women employed in their own department and the social and gendered implications of employment there based on their own understanding. The analysis is thus not representative of other departments or levels of the administration; however, it still provides an indication of the gendered gaps in this level of waste management. Section 5 provides an analysis of gendered implications of employment in the waste management service sector and is based on data gathered at a selection of service providing companies in the four target locations. The presented thematic analysis integrates the perspectives from both managers and workers in each of these levels where available. As women in general are under-represented in the sector, the analysis is focused on the opportunities of employment for women in particular and the social and health related implications faced by women working in the sector both formally and informally. Two out of three working children in Lao PDR are categorized as unpaid family workers, helping parents or other family members. This is as true for the waste management sector in Laos as in other industries. Section 6 introduces a focus on children in waste management as a cross-cutting issue, in order to improve the understanding of the extent and nature of child labour in waste management. Section 7 provides a gender analysis of household level waste management, to develop an understanding of the domestic roles with a focus on waste production and waste management in the household, any gender differences in environmental perceptions and attitudes and how these may affect consumption preferences and risk concerns. Finally, in Section 8, the identified gender gaps are summarized, and recommendations gender-relevant activities and investments and indicators for the monitoring of any gender-relevant aspects of environmental and waste management are discussed. Civitas Company Limited Page 12 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) 2 Methodology The assessment follows a ‘mixed-methods’ approach, which is an emergent research methodology that advances the systematic integration, or mixing, of quantitative and qualitative data within a single sustained theme of research inquiry (Cresswell, 2017). The first phase of the study included a desk review of relevant studies and reports (see the Inception Report of this assignment). Informed by these findings, the second phase of the study consisted of primary data collection during which key stakeholders at various levels of waste management were consulted, and subsequent analysis. Data was gathered by a Lao research team consisting of three male and three female social researchers during the first half of March 2022. 2.1 Geographic Scope The study was carried out in the districts targeted by the EWMP, including Xaythany and Naxaythong District in Vientiane Capital, Phonhong in Vientiane Province, and Xay District in Oudomxay Province. The objective of the local level analysis is to produce gender profiles of each level of waste management these four areas. The gender profiles will illustrate the multifaceted nature of women’s role in the waste management sector. By considering women’s domestic, economic, and political role in the sector, the profiles will aid in providing perspective on the current situation of women and identify specific areas for improvement. Figure 2: Target locations 2.2 Primary Data Collection Data was gathered through interviews with key stakeholders at four levels including two structural levels and two individual levels. At the structural level, representatives of district level public administration, as well as managers of waste management service companies were interviewed to generate an understanding of local waste management infrastructure, institutional capacity and employment profiles. Two interview guides were developed, one targeting public administration representatives and one service company managers. Both interview guides covered questions on employment structure of companies and departments, such as: - What are the different types of employees? - Who, and how many (men/women), are employed in what roles? - What are the selection criteria for each role? - What is the payment structure (including salary levels) between roles, men and women? - What is the relationship between workers and management? - Are there any employment health and safety policies in place (including PPE)? - Are there any affiliation opportunities for men/women? - Are there gendered differences in access to informal/formal employment structures? Civitas Company Limited Page 13 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) - Are women or men more likely to find employment in informal or formal contexts? The interview guide for public administration representatives included additional questions on local waste management infrastructure: - Who is in charge of waste management in the district? - What companies are collecting waste? - What disposal sites are used? - What recycling businesses are used by waster pickers in the district? - What is the waste management capacity/need? - How is waste management financed? This information provided context for the waste management in each district, as well as an access point to companies’ managers and their employees. At the individual level, male and female waste workers were interviewed in waste collection companies, at waste transfer sites, at waste disposal sites and at recycling shops. This generated an understanding of why male and female workers are working in the in the waste management sector, and gives consideration to their domestic and economic roles. Interviewees were asked about their employment/work history, followed by a set of questions to illuminate their motivation, income level, aspirations, and perceptions of work-related risks. Visual tools in the form of matrixes and value scales, were included to quantify perceptions and attitudes affecting, for example, aspirations and risk evaluation. The interview guide for workers covered questions such as: On men and women’s employment history, income level and aspirations: - How did you get into this job? - Are you formally employed or in a casual position? - Where would you like to be five years from now? - What are the opportunities for getting there? - What are the obstacles? On men and women’s perceptions of risks related to waste management work: - What are the dangers of work in waste management? - How can dangers and risks be reduced? - What are the obstacles? On men and women’s household workload and positioning in the household: - Power access and control over financial resources - Responsibility of household chores Questions to illuminate children’s involvement in waste management was included in all of the above-mentioned question guides, as a cross cutting issue to generate an understanding of the extent to which children are engaged in waste work and any risk factors related to this work. Questions asked included: - What work is done by children? - What are their opportunities/obstacles for protection? - What can be done to prevent, and transfer children out of, this type of work? Finally, at the household level male and female family members were interviewed to develop an understanding of their domestic roles, with a focus on waste production and waste management in the household, any gendered differences in environmental perceptions and attitudes, and how these may affect consumption preferences and Civitas Company Limited Page 14 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) risk concerns. Visual aids (activity cards, scales and matrixes) were used to engage the respondents in the interviews. Household practices and gender roles: - Power access and control over financial resources - Grocery shopping, who, where, how and why - Waste separation and disposal, who, where, how and why Gendered perceptions: - Environmental considerations in relation to household consumption and waste management - Environmental impacts of household waste and the management thereof - Satisfaction with current waste management services - Willingness to pay for improved waste management services - Environmental concerns in general All question guides are attached in Appendix 1. 2.3 Final Sample As described above, the study used a mixed method approach with a focus on explorative qualitative data gathering. The sample is therefore relatively small, and the validity of findings will rely in the contextualisation of each finding. Informants Xaythany Naxaythong Phonhong Xay Total Public Administration VCOMS/UDDA 1 1 1 1 4 Waste Disposal Site Management 1 - - - 1 Workers (m/f) 6 - 5 3 14 Waste Transfer Site1 Management 1 - - 1 Workers (m/f) 7 - - 7 Recycling Businesses Management 7 - 2 1 10 Workers (m/f) 1 - - 2 3 Waste Collection Company Management 1 - 2 2 5 Workers (m/f) 9 - 3 8 20 Informal Waste Workers (m/f) 6 - 6 4 16 Households Men 11 10 10 11 42 Women 9 10 10 9 38 Total 52 29 39 41 161 Table 1: Overview of final sample A total of 161 interviews were made, including four interviews with representatives of public administration, 17 company managers, 44 formally employed waste workers, 16 informal waste pickers and 80 household members. The total number of interviews at the institutional and worker levels, including government offices and waste management service providers varied between districts, as it depended on the composition of waste management services in each of the four selected project areas. Managers and workers were interviewed when available on 1 The transfer site is actually located in Xaysetta but used by the waste collection companies collecting waste in both Xaythany and Naxaythong and therefore included in the study. Civitas Company Limited Page 15 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) the day the team visited the site. In some locations there were very few workers present, or the workers did not agree to participate in interviews as they were too busy carrying out their work. The team visited several of the sites twice in order to meet sample targets. 2.4 Data Analysis and Reporting Paper forms were used for semi structured interviews, providing an easy tool for the researchers to structure their interview notes. Data was then entered into an online survey platform- Google Forms, to convert the paper-based questionnaire results into a digital Microsoft Excel database format. Qualitative responses were translated into English. The data analysis included summarization and visualization of data as charts, graphs, and tables, as well as categorization of qualitative information to highlight key information from the interviews. Results were disaggregated by gender and location where relevant. Each question in the survey is summarized and relevant information is presented in a visual form of data in Appendix 2. The initial literature review presented in the Inception Report will be incorporated into the analysis and discussion of findings where relevant. 2.5 Limitations This assessment was bound by time, budget and location constraints. Additionally, very limited information existed prior to this study on gender and waste management in Laos. Therefore, this assessment was designed as a first step to generate a holistic understanding of the situation in each of the four locations, rather than an in- depth analysis. Scope The assignment required information gathering in four distinct locations, and for a range of topics. This wide approach covered all levels of waste management from public administration to household waste management and production. These constraints resulted in a more quantitative approach to cover all topics with informants, and therefore there was less time to go further in-depth on any specific topic, or to follow any individuals over time. Timeframe Time and budget limitations allowed the research team to spend one day at each site, resulting in responses from only those who happened to be present that day. Day-to-day workers, truck drivers, and casual employees were often unavailable, or not present the day the team was in the field, and the team had to be flexible in their approach, including conducting interviews in the evening, and in a variety of locations adjacent to the site itself. Availability of survey respondents Government officers at the district and provincial level engage in work that requires frequent travel, resulting in the need for careful coordination, and brief interview slots. More time spent at each government level, and in each location, would increase the range of responses from respondents, and allow more qualitative data to be collected. Ethnic diversity The data collection focused on specific geographic sites related to waste management, and as such the ethnic diversity of the local community or the workers was not a primary consideration. Informants were sampled based on their availability at the location at the time of surveying, and no specific ethnic groups were targeted. Therefore, the sample cannot be said to be representative of waste management issues amongst ethnic groups throughout the country, especially for remote villages and those with limited access to formal waste management structures. However, it is likely that the findings are representative of urban and peri-urban populations in Lao settings similar to the four targeted locations. Civitas Company Limited Page 16 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) 3 Context of Waste Management at District Level The presentation of the context of waste management in each of the four target locations is based on interviews with four key informants representing the public administration of waste management in each district, including Xaythany and Naxaythong districts in Vientiane Capital and Phonhong district in Vientiane Province and Xay district in Oudomxay Province. The introduction is focused on the process of waste management from household level to disposal and final treatment to identify major social and health risks associated with the work in this sector. 3.1 Xaythany District, Vientiane Capital Xaythany district hosts a large landfill of around 50 hectares located 32KM from the city centre. Waste from all but one of the districts in the Capital area is disposed of here. Vehicles coming in to dispose waste are weighed, and must pay a fee of 40,000LAK per ton (except for government owned waste collection trucks which do not pay the fee). At this site, household, medical, industrial, construction, and chemical waste are disposed of. However, the exact processes of disposal are unclear. Previous studies (GGGI, 2018; WB, 2021) suggest that medical waste is incinerated separately, but other types of waste seem to simply be dumped. According to the interviewed official at the Vientiane City Office for Management and Service (VCOMS) in Xaythany district, separation of recyclables (plastic bottles and cans), incineration of medical waste, and leachate treatments are available at the KM32 landfill. Household waste collection in Xaythany is managed by VCOMS, which contracts two private waste collection companies, Small B and Top One. Household waste collection, prior to 2022, was mainly conducted by government-owned trucks (approximately 50 trucks). However, from 2022, the management of these government owned trucks has been handed over to the company, Small B, while Top One collects waste using their own trucks. The waste transfer site, located in Xaysettha district, is used by government owned waste collection trucks collecting trash in several districts of the Capital, including, the Small B trucks collecting waste in Xaythany and Naxaythong districts. The smaller trucks that are used to collect household waste come to this site to dump the collection in a large container which is then transferred into a larger truck. The larger trucks then take the waste to the 32KM landfill. According to the transfer site officials, approximately 1250 tons of waste are transferred at the site per month. The content of the waste transferred is unknown Figure 3: Truck moving waste at Landfill KM32 (household, industrial, medical, etc.). Staff at the transfer site manually separate recyclables during the transfer and sell the results to recycling shops to make a little extra income. Civitas Company Limited Page 17 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) Nearly three quarters of villages in Xaythany district are covered by waste collection (73/104 villages). However, the city official reported a significantly lower coverage of 26.5% of all households in the district, indicating low numbers of households using the service even when it is available. Households pay 40,000LAK per month for weekly waste collection (one bag), while markets pay 500,000LAK per truckload for the large waste containers in public areas of markets, and hospitals pay 13,000LAK per kilo for medical waste disposal. The VCOMS official estimates that 20% of households in Xaythany district dump their waste at unofficial sites, 20% burn it, 10% use food waste as compost, and 10% use food waste as animal feed. Separation of waste in the capital is also done by individual waste pickers, and small to medium sized recycling shops. Many of these shops are located in Xaythany district - typically family owned and run businesses, and only a few of them employ staff. The type of material recycled are plastic bottles, scrap metal, cardboard and paper, copper wire, cans, plastic bags, and batteries. Out of the seven recycling shops consulted in this study, four reported to have informal waste pickers coming to their shop - between three and 20 waste pickers a week coming to sell recyclables. Interestingly, while recycling shop owners reported the majority of waste pickers who come are men, at the landfill KM32 the manager estimates that the majority of 60% of waste pickers are women. The reported price of recyclables varies from shop to shop. The table below lists the prices reported by seven recycling shops in the district. The most valuable recyclable item are electric wires, bought at a price range from 20,000LAK/KG to 80,000LAKKG and sold for between 24,000LAK/KG to 90,000LAK/KG. Copper in electrical wires is a very valuable resource, making electrical wires valuable to recycle. It must be noted that only one company bought wires for 20,000LAK and sold it for 24,000LAK while the other shops listed higher buying prices ranging from 60,000LAK to 80,000LAK. It is likely that the shop buying cheaper wires are dealing with different types of electrical wires or wires of a different quality. The profit margin of these items ranged from 2,000LAK to 10,000LAK (the difference between the buying and selling price). The second most valuable recyclable item is aluminium, followed by scrap metal. The price of plastic bottles and cardboard is extremely low when considering the weight of these recyclables and the time it would take to collect enough to sell, compared to heavier materials such as scrap metal or aluminium. Other than its wide availability, the incentive to collect plastic bottles compared to other materials is very low. Recyclable Buying price (LAK/KG) Selling price (LAK/KG) Plastic bottles 1,000-1,500 1,400-2,000 Cardboard 700-1,500 1,000-1,800 Scrap metal 2,000-3,500 2,200-4,500 Electric wire 20,000-80,000 24,000-90,000 Aluminium 10,000-14,000 12,000-17,000 Table 2: Buying and selling price of recyclables in Xaythany district When asked about how the price of recyclables are controlled, shops responded there are not any controlling mechanisms but that they follow the market price based on what larger companies offer, while one shop mentioned that price is influenced by the export destination. Civitas Company Limited Page 18 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) 3.2 Naxaythong District, Vientiane Capital Waste management in Naxaythong is similar to waste management in Xaythany. Waste collection is carried out by government trucks, also operated and managed by the private company Small B. The trucks transport the waste to the transfer site in Xaysettha district where the waste is manually separated during transfer to larger trucks before taken to the landfill at KM32. Recyclable waste is collected directly from households by informal waste pickers and sold to recycling shops located in Xaythany district. The consulted VCOMS official in Naxaythong reported that approximately 80% (42/52 villages) of villages are covered by waste collection but that the percentage of households using the service is around 50%, indicating low numbers of households using the service, even when it is available. As in Xaythany district, the price of waste collection for households is 40,000LAK per month (one bag per week). Figure 4: A large truck being loaded at the transfer site The VCOMS official estimates that 20% of households 4 in Naxaythong district dumps their waste at unofficial sites, 20% burn it, 15% use food waste as compost, and 13% use food waste as animal feed. 3.3 Phonhong District, Vientiane Province Phonhong town located in Phonhong district is the capital of Vientiane Province. In the provinces, solid waste management is the responsibility of the provincial and districts departments of Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) and the Urban Development and Administration Authority (UDAA). Two private waste collection companies, Yongyei and Soknamxai, are contracted by the by the UDAA office under the MPWT for household waste collection. Private shops process recycling, and the recyclable material is collected and sold to shops by waste pickers. The consulted DPWT official reported that approximately 80% (49/59 villages) of villages are covered by the waste collection services and approximately 50% of households use the service. Households who are not covered either dump their waste at unofficial sites or burn it. However, the proportion of people doing so is unclear. The price of waste collection is significantly lower in the provinces. Households in Phonhong pay 20,000LAK per month, offices pay 30,000LAK, small markets between 100,000-500,000LAK, big markets 1,000,000LAK, hospitals pay 200,000LAK, and factories pay 40,000LAK a month. Waste is disposed in a government owned landfill, located 2KM from the town centre. According to the DPWT official, various types of waste, including household, industrial, construction, and chemical waste, are disposed at this site. Medical waste is reported to be incinerated at the hospital. The disposal site has no capacity to treat or process the waste. Waste separation is done by informal waste pickers at the site. Other processes such as composting, compaction, incinerating, leachate treatment and others are not available. Waste collection companies pay taxes directly to the district office and therefore do not pay to use the landfill separately. Civitas Company Limited Page 19 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) There are two recycling shops in Phonhong trading plastic bottles, cans, scrap metal, cardboard, paper, and plastic bags. One shop reported that all waste pickers who come to sell are men, while the other shop reported that about 50% of waste pickers selling to them are women. The buying and selling price of recyclables in Phonhong are listed in the table below. Compared to shops in the capital, plastic bottles and cardboard is traded at a higher value, while scrap metal, aluminium and electrical wire prices are lower, especially electric wires with prices between 10,000LAK/KG to 30,000LAK/KG lower than in the capital. As the prices are controlled by the market, the availability and demand for these items likely shift the prices differently than is found in Vientiane Capital. One shop in Phonhong district mentioned buying plastic bags (no shops in the capital mentioned this product). Plastic bags are made of different kinds of plastic from bottles, and it indicates there are also demands for recycling plastic bags as well as bottles. Recyclable Buying price (LAK/KG) Selling price (LAK/KG) Plastic bottles 1,200-1,400 2,000-2,100 Cardboard 1,000 1,300-1,350 Scrap metal 1,500-4,000 1,800-4,500 Electric wire 10,000-60,000 13,500-62,000 Glass 250 400 Aluminium 10,000 11,500 Plastic bags 1,400 2,000 Table 3: Buying and selling price of recyclables in Phonhong district The wider variety of recyclables show there are demands for less common items such as glass and plastic bags. As one recycling shop in Phonhong reported they sell to a Chinese recycling company near the landfill, it indicates there are also demands for these items in Vientiane Capital beyond those interviewed in this survey. The profit margins for recyclables are higher in Phonhong compared to Vientiane Capital. Recycling shops are able to make more money, possibly because there are fewer shops, and there is a higher demand for buyers from these shops. 3.4 Xay District, Oudomxay Province Xay district is the capital city of Oudomxay. As in Phonhong, solid waste management is the responsibility of the MPWT and the UDAA. Two private waste collection companies, Viengchaleunxai and Laody, are contracted by the UDAA office to collect waste from households in the district. The consulted UDAA official reported that less than a quarter (22/97 villages) of villages are covered by the waste collection services while 69% or 4,644 out of 6,717 households use the service. This could be an over-estimation, however, may indicate that where waste collection coverage is available, most households are using the service. In Xay households pay only 15,000LAK per month for waste collection. Offices pay 2,000LAK per person, markets pay between 1,500,000-3,000,000LAK per month, hospitals pay 1,200,000-1,500,000LAK, and factories pay 100,000LAK per month. Waste is disposed at a landfill located on the main Road 8. Household, industrial, construction and chemical waste is dumped at this site. Medical waste is disinfected at the hospital and dumped at the site as well. The disposal site has no capacity to treat or process the waste. Waste separation is done by informal waste pickers at Civitas Company Limited Page 20 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) the site. Other processes such as composting, compaction, incinerating, leachate treatment and others are not available. Waste collection companies do not pay to dispose waste, however they are responsible for the cost of a tractor as needed when the disposal causes an overflow. The UDAA official estimates that approximately only 2% of households in Xay district either dump their waste in the river or burn it. This is likely to be largely underestimated, considering the low coverage of waste collection services in the district. There are also recycling shops in Xay. According to the UDAA official and the recycling shop manager, they mainly trade metals, including scrap metal, batteries, aluminium, and copper wires. Waste pickers do not collect plastic bottles or other recyclables as there are no shops or companies that buy them. One shop reported all waste pickers who come are men. A recycling shop reported recyclables are imported from Phongsaly province and exported to Vientiane Capital. Recyclable Buying price (LAK/KG) Selling price (LAK/KG) Scrap metal 2,500 3,200 Aluminium 8,000 13,000 Table 4: Buying and selling price of recyclables in Xay district The buying and selling price of recyclables are listed in the table above. Only one shop was interviewed from Xay district as the UDAA official reported there are few Lao shops and many Chinese owned recycling companies. Therefore, it is likely there are other materials collected by waste pickers and sold to recycling shops. However as mentioned above, there is no demand for plastic bottles so waste pickers do not collect it, which is very particular out of all the districts and provinces interviewed in the survey. The profit margin is very large for recycled aluminium and on the higher side of the spectrum for scrap metal. It indicates there is high demand for large scale aluminium recycling and the shops instead of the waste pickers are benefitting greatly from this situation. Civitas Company Limited Page 21 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) 4 Gender Profile of Public Administration at District Level The gender profile of employment in public administration of waste management in the four targeted districts is based on interviews with four key informants, representing the main government body responsible for waste management at each location. Each informant reported on numbers of men and women employed in their own department, and the social and gendered implications of employment there based on their own understanding. The analysis is thus not representative of other departments or levels of the public administration, however, it still provides an indication of the gendered gaps in this level of waste management. As women in general are under-represented in the sector, the analysis is focused on the employment of women in particular. 4.1 Employment of Women in Public Administration of Waste Management At national level, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) have the overall responsibility for solid waste management in Lao PDR. In Vientiane Capital, the Vientiane City Office for Management and Service (VCOMS) is responsible for solid waste management and at a provincial level, the Urban Development and Administration Authority (UDAA) is responsible. MPWT’s and MONRE’s roles are regulatory and supervisory, and they support the work of UDAAs. VCOMS legislative basis is defined by provincial decree through which responsibilities to specific agencies and committees are allocated, and the fees charged to households and government offices or commercial enterprises are set2. UDAAs have an equal status to a division of a provincial government, are financially independent, and are able to generate revenue. They may use this income for urban development and administration and are required to prepare and submit annual budget plans to the Provincial and National level for approval3. Interviews with representatives from relevant district office were carried out in each of the four target districts to establish a gender profile of staff working in public administration in this sector. Interviewees were asked about the number of employees in their respective departments, what positions were covered and whether the employees were male or female. As illustrated in the figure below, the departments in Xaythany and Naxaythong districts in Vientiane Capital, have significantly higher ratio of female staff compared to the departments in Phonhong, Vientiane Province and Xay, Oudomxay Province. Furthermore, female staff are primarily employed in technical or administrative positions. Two out of four districts have one female director, namely in VCOMS in Xaythany and Naxaythong districts. The ninth five-year national socio-economic development plan 4 concludes that women in leadership and management positions at ministry level reached 18.18% in 2019 at Director-General and Deputy Director-General level 22.38% and at District Governor and Deputy Governor level 6.72%. This confirms the finding of the interviewed district officials, and it can be concluded that also in the waste management sector, it is more difficult for female staff to reach higher positions within the departments. 2 Global Green Growth Institute (2017): Solid Waste Management in Lao P.D.R. 3 Stipulated by Decree No 177/PM 4 th 9 five-year national socio-economic development plan (2021-2025)_eng_9th_nsedp_final_print_12.1.22.pdf (opendevelopmentmekong.net) Civitas Company Limited Page 22 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) When asked to compare the employment of female staff in their Gender ratio of department staff department with other sector departments in the district, the 120% Xaythany and Naxaythong officials 100% 25% reported that their departments have, 80% 40% in general, more female staff 60% 77% 89% employed; while the Phonhong and 40% 75% Xay officials both reported to employ 60% 20% fewer women. It is likely that 23% 11% 0% departments with a higher number of VCOMS in VCOMS in UDAA in Xay MPWT in female employees overall are likely to Naxaythong Xaythany Phonhong have a larger number of female staff in female staff male staff higher positions. This is the case for VCOMS in Naxaythong and Xaythany. Figure 5: Gender ratio of staff in consulted department per district 4.2 Salaries and Benefits in Public Administration of Waste Management Government and city office positions provide a steady income, and often, a job for life until retirement. Salary levels in the public administration are reported to be set centrally and based on position, education level, and qualifications, without taking gender into account. Government employment provides social security in the form of enrolment in the national Social Security Organization (SSO). Benefits include health insurance, pay during sick leave, maternity leave, as well as a pension for life after retirement. This type of security is not widespread in other job sectors in Laos. As discussed further below, many companies in the waste management sector do not enrol their staff in SSO or offer paid sick leave. All government staff interviewed replied they have worker representatives, however, the number of representatives varies from one in Naxaythong, to two in Xaythany, three in Xay and eight in Phonhong, and out of the total of 14 worker representatives, only four, one per district, were female. The tasks of the worker representative were described as focusing on conveying instructions, tasks, and issues from the central level organizations, such as the Lao Front for National Development (LFND) or the Lao Women’s Union (LWU), rather than bringing workers issues up to a higher level. None of the interviewees mentioned facilitating two-way communication as being part of the role of representatives. 4.3 Opportunities for Professional Development in Public Administration of Waste Management The officials in all districts, reported there are no gender differences in the participation of professional development trainings. The participation in a training is based on the position and the responsibilities of the staff member. In terms of HR policies, all government staff mentioned there are no specific gender policies for employment of male and female staff, such as a female staff quota. The interviewed district officials reported that employment depends on the skills need of the specific department and what they request to the central level agencies without taking into account gender or a gender quota. Civitas Company Limited Page 23 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) 4.4 Identified Gender Gaps in Public Administration of Waste Management Access to jobs The main gender gap identified on the government side of solid waste management in the provinces is related to accessing work in the sector. Consulted departments in Vientiane Capital have significantly higher ratios of female staff compared to those consulted in Vientiane Province and Oudomxay. Furthermore, finding women in better paid positions is more likely in the VCOMS in Naxaythong and Xaythany. This is confirmed by the findings of the Gender Country Action Plan 5 which states that, women’s increasing representation within central government structures has not filtered down to the provincial and local levels, where significant gender gaps in representation persist, despite the fact that the Lao Women’s Union is reaching out to women from the national to village levels. This gap can be connected to further implications of accessing economic and social security, as government jobs provide access to retirement funds, healthcare, and other benefits of the social security fund. A possible hindering factor for the disparity in number of female workers in Vientiane Capital and the provinces could be the difference in education levels in the capital and provinces. The issue of education will be discussed further below. Access to higher paid positions The second gap identified is the difficulty for women to obtain higher paid positions within their department. Again, this gap is especially observed in the provinces. This difficulty for female staff to reach higher positions within their department leads to a disparity in the level of compensation received by female civil servants. This is also emphasized by the difference in salary which are separated by “grades” of skill levels (Lao PDR Civil Service Pay and Compensation Review, 2010). The gap is most prominent in the ratio of female and male directors or deputies where there are much lower numbers of female directors compared to male directors. This can again be connected to further implications such as economic security, stagnating professional development, and lack of access to different opportunities. Access to opportunities for professional development No type of active discrimination of female staff at the HR policy level was reported. However, there are no HR policies set up to mitigate or improve the current status of disproportionate gender ratio or to safeguard women in the workplace. Article 96 of the Lao Labour Law states that women “have the right to employment and professions in every sector (…) and may participate in training, labour skills improvement and providing expertise”. However, the consulted officials stated that there are no specific HR policies guiding employment of male and female staff in place and staff is recruited based on their professional experience. Opportunities for professional development depend on the position of the employee, funding available and is more often provided for staff that worked in the department for many years according to the interviewed officials. The consulted officials from Naxaythong and Xay district stated that there are currently no opportunities for professional development in place. 5 Gender Action Plan 2017-2021 for Lao PDR World Bank Document. Civitas Company Limited Page 24 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) 5 Gender Profile of Waste Management Workers Analysis of gendered implications of employment in the waste management service sector is based on data gathered at a selection of service providing companies in the four target locations. In order to provide a gender profile of all levels of waste management, service providers included waste collection companies, sites for waste transfer and disposal as well as recycling shops. Interviews were carried out with management, formally employed workers and informal waste pickers where they were present at the time of data collection. The presented thematic analysis integrates the perspectives from each of these levels where relevant. As women are under-represented in the sector, the analysis is focused on the opportunities of employment for women in particular, and the social and health related implications faced by women working in the sector formally and informally. Formally employed workers includes those on long term contracts and day-to-day labourers, while informal workers include waste pickers working without contract. 5.1 Employment of Women in Waste Management Service Companies Interviews with the managers of companies engaging in waste management were conducted at the landfill at KM32, Xaythany district; at the waste transfer site in Xaysettha district; and in five waste collection companies including one in Xaythany, two in Phonhong and two in Xay district. Finally, the owners of ten recycling shops were interviewed, including seven in Xaythany, two in Phonhong, and one in Xay district. As the table below shows, there are relatively few women employed in any of these companies. No women are employed on the landfill and if women are employed at the waste transfer site or in waste collection companies, the vast majority are working in administration. Only one waste collection company stated that they employ a female technician. More female employees are found at recycling shops with women not only working in administration but also as contracted manual labourers and day-to-day labourers. “Other” includes people working in small family-run recycling shops where tasks are not separated between the family members. Landfill at KM32 Transfer Site Waste Collection Recycling Shops Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Total number of employees 19 0 28 5 48 5 26 14 Day-to-day manual labourer 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 5 Contracted manual labourer 5 0 0 0 27 0 6 0 Truck drivers 6 0 0 0 11 0 2 0 Technicians 2 0 23 0 5 1 2 0 Administration 3 0 5 5 5 4 3 6 Other 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 Table 5: Positions of men and women employed in the waste management service companies Statements by the company managers clearly show that work in the waste management sector is highly gendered with strong perceptions of what work is appropriate for men and women respectively. While men and women are considered equally capable to carry out administrative tasks, contracted manual labour in the waste management sector is perceived as a male-oriented profession with women mainly working as day-to-day manual labourers on the landfill, where they separate recyclables to sell. Civitas Company Limited Page 25 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) Perceptions of women working in administration Across all companies, administrative staff are responsible for office work including finances, planning, and documentation. Managers of the recycling shops also noted that administrative staff help with import and export documentation. As illustrated by the statements quoted in table below, administrative tasks are considered as suitable work for women, however, may still not be employed by the company due to the distance to work being considered too far for a woman to travel on her own. Type of business Key statements on females working in administration Waste collection companies ● “…women and men can do the same work” ● “… small family business and left my daughter to do the job” Recycling shops ● “…family business and one of the female family members has the role.” Landfill KM32 ● “…located too far from Vientiane, women do not want to come” Transfer site ● “…headquarter appoints these positions” Perceptions of women working as technicians Technicians are generally seen as leaders by the company managers. At waste collection companies they inspect work, monitor teams progress, and plan new strategies for waste collection. At the landfill at KM32 technicians plan waste disposal, dumping and landfill zones, they then manage the necessary teams. In recycling shops, they check the quality of recyclables being purchased. Technicians at the transfer site are also involved in vehicle maintenance. Only one of the interviewed companies employs a female technician. As illustrated by the statements quoted in the table below women, if qualified, may be perceived suitable for work as a technician, however they are rarely employed due to the low number of available positions, or the location of the company. Type of business Key statements on females working as technicians Waste collection companies ● “…small business with generally not much work available for technicians” Recycling shops ● “…small business where owners also take on the role as technician” Landfill at KM32 ● “…landfill is far away and difficult to come to work for females” Transfer site ● “…headquarters appoints the technicians” Perception of women working as truck drivers In addition to driving the truck, the truck drivers for recycling shops and waste collection companies are also responsible for inspections and maintenance of the trucks, and they help with loading and unloading of materials. The truck drivers at the landfill KM32 drive the dump trucks, bulldozers and excavators used around the site. None of the consulted waste collection companies employ female truck drivers. As illustrated by the statements quoted in the table below, the company managers do not see women fit to drive trucks. Additionally, women rarely apply for work in this position. The managers think this is because women are worried about their health, or the workplace is too far away from Vientiane for them to want this work. Civitas Company Limited Page 26 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) Type of business Key statements on females working as truck drivers Waste collection companies ● “…women did not apply for the job” ● “…the company will not accept female drivers; it is not appropriate” Recycling shops ● “…women did not apply for the job” ● “…inappropriate to have women as a truck driver” Landfill at KM32 ● “…will not allow women to drive in this section” ● “…do not want to work here, they are worried about their health” ● “…too far away from Vientiane” Transfer site ● “…opened the position to men and women but women did not apply” Perceptions of women working as contracted manual labourers The main tasks for contracted manual labourers employed by waste collection companies as well as the transfer site include the daily pick up of household and market waste and transporting it to the transfer station and/or the landfill. At the landfill contracted manual labourers mainly instruct truck drivers where to dump the load of waste. Only one of the interviewed recycling shops contracts manual labourers who separate metals such as steel and iron and compact it. None of the companies have contracted women as manual labourers. As illustrated by the statements quoted in the table below, women are generally not considered strong enough for this type of work. The work is considered both dirty and malodorous and therefore embarrassing for the women, the workplace, and their communities, if women are employed in these positions. Type of business Key statements on females working as contracted manual labourer Waste collection companies ● “…they cannot do the hard work” ● “… women are not accepted as labourers as it is not appropriate” ● “…women simply do not apply for the jobs” ● “…embarrass the community” Recycling shops ● “…women cannot do the hard work” Landfill at KM32 ● “…the weather and distance deter women from applying for this job” Transfer site ● “…women do not like the job because it smells and is heavy” Perceptions of women working as day-to-day manual labourers Day-to-day labourers usually work without a long-term contract and are paid daily. While several workers interviewed at most of the locations identified themselves as day-to-day labourers, only recycling shops reported to employ day-to-day manual labourers. Main duties include loading and unloading trucks, lifting, compressing and sorting the waste, as well as purchasing of recyclables such as cans and plastic bottles. The recycling shops all commented that there were fewer women working as day-to-day labourers. Similarly to the work as contracted labourers, women are seen as too weak for this type of work, additionally it is considered too dirty and smelly for women to participate in. Civitas Company Limited Page 27 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) Type of business Key statements on females working as day-to-day labourers Recycling shops ● “…it is a physically strenuous job” ● “…women cannot do the heavy work and so are not employed” ● “…the job is dirty and smelly, and women do not want to do that work” The statements clearly illustrate that the waste management sector in Lao PDR is highly gendered, with the few women who do work in the sector being employed in administration. Cultural barriers and social expectations about the work that women can do, or are interested in doing, limits female employment opportunities. However, in the informal sector, men and women both do similar work in unhygienic and strenuous conditions. 65% of the interviewed waste companies, thus reported to have waste pickers working on their site, mainly at the landfill, where the majority tends to be female according to the interviewed managers. The recycling shop managers report to have between 10 and 20 waste pickers coming to their shops to sell recyclables regularly. The proportion of female waste pickers among these differ widely between the shops, however, all shops report to be buying from both male and female waste pickers. With adequate capacity building and safety measures in place, different jobs in the sector could attract more female staff and contribute to the formal employment of female waste pickers. Furthermore, a shift in the perception of the employability of female staff needs to be promoted in order to provide equal access to jobs in the waste management sector. 5.2 Male and Female Workers in Waste Management A total of 60 waste workers were interviewed across the locations of the targeted waste management services. This included 44 labourers of which 34 identified themselves as contracted labourers and 10 as day-to-day labourers. Additionally, a total of 16 informal waste pickers were interviewed. Workers interviewed were those who were available on the day the team visited the site. The team purposely aimed to interview both male and female workers when present and thereby to provide a snapshot of the gender proportion of workers at each location on the day of surveying there. Collection Recycling Transfer site Landfills Type of labourer Company shop Total M F M F M F M F Contracted manual labourer 18 - 2 - 7 - 7 - 34 Day-to-day manual labourer 1 1 1 - - - 3 4 10 Informal waste pickers - - - - - - 4 12 16 TOTAL 19 1 3 - 7 - 14 16 60 Table 6: Workplace and gender of interviewed waste labourers and waste pickers As illustrated in Table 6, the majority of interviewed contracted labourers (53%) work at the collection companies, followed by waste transfer stations and landfill (21% each). Informal waste pickers and most of the day-to-day Civitas Company Limited Page 28 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) labourers6 work at the landfill (70%) where they separate waste. All interviewed contracted manual labourers are male, and out of the interviewed day-to-day labourers 50% are male and 50% female. As illustrated above, interviews with waste management company managers confirm that the work in waste management is perceived as a male-oriented occupation, with fewer women both applying for and receiving contracted positions. Interviews with waste workers shows that these perceptions are present among the workers as well. Demographic characteristics of interviewed waste workers The majority of the interviewed waste labourers (89%) are between 21 and 50 years old. 80% of the interviewed waste labourers first language is Lao, 14% Khmou (in Xay district) and 7% Hmong (in Phonhong district). All interviewed Hmong speakers are contracted labourers, while the Khmou speakers represent a mix of contracted and day-to-day labourers. The majority of the waste labourers (80% of female and 60% of male labourers) are married. Average household size is 4.6 members. Interviewed waste pickers are between 18 and 60 years old with the majority between 21 and 50 years (82%). 81% of the waste pickers speak Lao, and 19% Khmou, as their primary language (the latter all from Xay district). All female waste pickers and two out of four male waste pickers are married, the other two male waste pickers are single. Education level of male and female waste management workers The education level of interviewed manual- and day-to day workers is generally low, however it is slightly higher among the contracted male workers. As illustrated in Figure 6 below, of the interviewed (male only) contracted manual labourers, the majority of 70% either completed or at least started secondary education. In comparison, the education level of interviewed day-to-day labourers, out of which half are female, is much lower - with 60% not even completing primary school. Education of interviewed waste labourers Contracted manual laborers 3% 9% 12% 29% 41% Day-to-day manual laborers 20% 40% 10% 20% 10% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% No formal schooling Dropped out in primary school Finished primary school Dropped out in secondary school Finished high school Finished university/college Figure 6: Education of interviewed waste labourers Looking at the education level of the interviewed waste pickers in Figure 7, again the women show lower education levels with 34% not having finished primary school. On the other hand, all male waste pickers finished primary school and started secondary school. The low education levels of especially female waste pickers indicate limited literacy skills. 6 Four female and three male day-to-day labourers are working at disposal sites, one female and one male at a collection company and one male at a recycling shop. Civitas Company Limited Page 29 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) Eduction of interviewed waste pickers women 17% 17% 50% 8% 8% men 75% 25% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% No formal schooling Dropped out in primary school Finished primary school Dropped out in secondary school Finished high school Finished university/college Figure 7: Education of interviewed waste pickers Male contracted labourers generally have a higher level of formal education than day-to-day labourers and waste pickers. Female waste pickers show the lowest levels of education within the group of respondents. Adequate capacity building aiming to increase literacy levels of informal waste pickers and day-to-day labourers could possibly contribute to the employment of more female workers within the waste management sector. 5.3 Salary Levels and Economic Security of Workers in Waste Management Average monthly salary levels for the various type of workers, as reported by the interviewed company managers is show in Table 7 below, where “Other” includes people working in small family-run recycling shops where tasks are not separated between the family members. Reported salaries by the interviewed workers are generally higher than salary levels stated by the managers. However, most interviewed workers state that their households are barely meeting their financial needs. Salary levels as reported by waste management company managers All salary levels are above the minimum wage of 1,100,000 LAK/month, and vary between 1,350,000-2,000,000 LAK/month for manual labourers, while truck drivers, technicians and administrators are paid between 1,940,000- 3,000,000 LAK/month. According to the interviewed managers, women are paid equally to men for equal work, in accordance with the Lao Labour Law. Type of worker Landfill Transfer Station Waste Collection Recycling Shops (LAK/month) (LAK/month) (LAK/month) (LAK/month) Day-to-day manual labourers 0 0 0 1,350,000 Contracted manual labourers 1,500,000 2,000,000 1,540,000 1,350,000 Truck drivers 2,050,000 2,500,000 1,940,000 2,800,000 Technicians 2,100,000 3,000,000 2,250,000 1,800,000 Administrators 2,100,000 3,000,000 2,062,500 2,100,000 Other 0 0 0 2,500,000 Table 7: Average monthly salary by type of workers in waste management companies Salary levels as reported by waste management workers The total average salary reported by the contracted manual labourers (only men) is 1,834,375 LAK/month. Contracted manual labourers from Naxathong earn slightly more whereas contracted manual labourers from Phonhong have the lowest monthly salary when comparing the four districts. However, all contracted manual Civitas Company Limited Page 30 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) labourers earn above the national minimum wage of 1,100,000 LAK/month at the time of this study (the minimum wage is expected to be increased to 1,200,000 LAK/month effective from 1 August 2022). Contracted manual labourers Xaythany Naxaythong Phonhong Xay Average monthly salary in LAK 1,842,847 2,028’571 1,612,500 1,870,000 Table 8: Average salary reported by interviewed contracted manual labourers (all male) As illustrated in Table 9, the total average salary reported by interviewed day-to-day labourers is much higher than what is reported by the contracted labourers, at 2,106,250 LAK/month7, and almost double of the national minimum wage. However, this may be an over-estimate as stable monthly income of day-to-day labour is not guaranteed along the year and therefore a comparison with monthly incomes from contracted labour is not meaningful. It should be noted that the female day-to-day labourers earn less than their male counterparts in all four districts. Income of day-to-day labourers is obviously dependent on the number of days worked. Two female day-to-day labourers stated that they work 30 days a month, one stated she works 20 days a month while two only five and four days a month, respectively. Male day-to-day labourers stated that they work 28 or 30 days per month, while one said he works just 15 days per month. On average the female day-to-day labourers work less days (18 days/month) than their male counterparts (25 days/month). Day-to-day labourers Naxathong Xaythany Xay Men Women Men Women Men Women Average monthly salary in LAK 2,433,333 2,366,667 2,300,000 1,800’000 1,575,000 50,0008 Table 9: Average salary reported by interviewed day-to-day labourers The average monthly income reported by waste pickers is even higher at 2.730.000 LAK/month. In Xaythany in Vientiane Capital, the reported income is significantly higher than in the two provincial districts, Phonhong and Xay, respectively. Except Phonhong district where the interviewed female waste pickers stated to have a higher salary than their male counterparts, female and male waste pickers earn in a similar range. However, given the small sample size this numbers only provide an indication and cannot be generalized for all waste pickers. It should also be noted that it appeared difficult to estimate the exact working days per month for waste pickers. They often sell recyclables once a week for a certain price (between 250.000 and over 1.000.000 LAK), so the income is reported by how often per month they sell recyclables at which amount and not by number of days worked. Waste pickers Xaythany Phonhong Xay Men Women Men Women Men Women Average salary in LAK/month 3,720,000 3,100,000 1,000,000 3,720,000 1,040,000 1,066,000 Table 10: Average monthly salary reported by interviewed waste pickers 7 Here the average salary for day-to-day labourers excludes the one female worker form Xay district who stated to earn 50,000 LAK per month to avoid a skewed average. 8 The salaries of day-to-day labourers reflect an estimation of an average monthly income based on daily income and average days of income per month. The female day-to-day labourers who stated that she earns 50,000 LAK per month, said that waste picking is a secondary income stream. Civitas Company Limited Page 31 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) Economic Security of Waste Workers In terms of economic security, very few of interviewed waste workers state that their household is in an economically secure situation. As illustrated in the figure below, only 9% of contracted labourers, 6% of waste pickers and none of the day-to-day labourers are able to cover both household expenses and unforeseen expenses. This is a clear indication of economic insecurity across all workers in the sector. Economic security of waste workers 60% 50% 44% 47% 50% 40% 38% 40% 29% 30% 20% 15% 13% 10% 6% 9% 10% 0% 0% barely cover basic needs cover basic needs cover houshold expenses cover household expenses and unforseen expenses Waste Pickers Day-to-Day laborers Contracted laborers Figure 8: Economic security of interviewed waste labourers The World Food Programme’s Minimum Expenditure basket for Lao PDR in August 20209 stated that an income of 2,754,013 LAK is needed to cover a household’s expenditures like food, related to water, personal hygiene, health, cooking fuel, clothes, shelter, education and services. When comparing it to the average monthly salary of contracted manual and day-to-day labourers all interviewed respondents are earning below this figure while only waste pickers meet this need. While the higher earnings by waste pickers may be an over-estimate, the prospect of lower earnings, even with a guaranteed monthly income, could be a barrier for informal workers to seek formal employment. 5.4 Employment Benefits and Social Security of Workers in Waste Management Provided with a matrix listing 12 social work benefits, interviewees, including formally employed waste labourers and informal waste pickers, were asked to identify which of these 12 benefits are provided by their current work situation and what benefits they would like access to. Benefits that they currently have access to are illustrated in Figure 9 below, as number of male and female workers who reported to have access to the benefit respectively. It should be noted that only 17 of the 60 interviewed workers are female and that 16 of them are working as informal waste pickers. The main provided benefit stated by the male and female waste pickers alike is the freedom to work when they want, which allows them to combine work with household tasks and childcare. Close to half of the female workers (mainly waste pickers) selected the option “other” from the matrix options and stated that there is no benefit in their current position. Male workers, who are mainly contracted manual labourers, stated the freedom to work when they want to, health insurance, having a fixed term contract and enrolment in SSO as the main benefits. No interviewed female waste worker has access to health insurance and only one of the female workers are enrolled in SSO. 9 Not yet published, but Civitas has been given access to this data by WFP. Civitas Company Limited Page 32 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) Access to benefits in waste work Child care/schooling 0 Trade union membership 0 Employee representative 0 Bank account 1 Training and opportunities for professional development 1 4 I can bring my children to work 2 4 Enrollment in social security organization 1 6 A fixed term contract 1 8 Flexible work hours 3 7 Health insurance 13 Other 8 9 Freedom to work when I want to 7 13 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Women Men Figure 9: Social benefits of current job reported by all waste workers (multiple answers possible) The three main benefits the interviewed waste labourers wish to have are: enrolment in the national social security organization (SSO), health insurance, and a fixed term contract. However, according to the interviews with the employers it is mainly the labourers on the landfill site and the transfer station who are enrolled in the SSO system, whereas other waste management companies do not provide any kind of insurance to their employees. Of the interviewed company managers, only 16% reported to enrol staff in SSO, 14% provide alternative health and accident insurance and 29% offer paid sick leave. One female waste picker stated that she would like to be SSO insured and another that she would like to have access to training opportunities. Female waste pickers are also in need of childcare and schooling support, whereas male waste pickers wish to have access to opportunities for professional development. While some waste pickers state to be content with the freedom of their work and without desire for further benefits, this may indicate that it is rather difficult them to imagine benefits they could have, as they have never been formally employed or had any formal representation that could support them in increasing their access to work-related benefits. Overall, flexibility of their working hours is the main benefit emphasised by the day-to-day labourers and waste pickers, which may allow them to provide care for their children or complete other household chores. Furthermore, as discussed in Section 5.3 above, day-to-day labourers and waste pickers report higher earnings than formally employed waste workers, this income discrepancy potentially poses a barrier to entering formal employment. Benefits, such as SSO enrolment, access to health and safety trainings and Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and help with childcare, however, could help encourage female waste pickers in particular to seek formal employment. This will be further illustrated below. 5.5 Opportunities for Professional Development for Waste Workers No formal policies or guidelines on opportunities for professional development exist according to the consulted company managers. However, some trainings relevant to the work on the waste sites were reported to be provided at the landfill KM32 and in two of the waste collection companies. Civitas Company Limited Page 33 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) Type of business Opportunities for professional development Landfill KM32 ● environmental management ● waste disposal ● study tour to Japan Waste collection companies ● repairing garbage trucks ● trainings on how to sort, recycle and dispose of hazardous waste Table 11: Opportunities for professional development provided by companies Overall, managers stated that staff are accepted for trainings depending on their position and what kind of assistance plan and budget is available. This usually focuses on particular staff who have worked for the company for many years, rather than the gender of the employee. All interviewed company managers responded that there are no differences in opportunities for professional development between female and male staff. However, it should be noted that the vast majority of employees are male. When asking waste labourers about opportunities for professional development, the majority of respondents stated that there are either no opportunities or that they do not know of any opportunities available. Three male waste labourers responded that only the manager of the company can go to training abroad, not the staff. The majority of waste labourers do not know if there are any HR policies regarding professional development. 23% stated that there are none. If respondents are aware of HR policies, it is mainly linked to salary increases. One male waste labourer explained that for diligent staff salary is raised by around 200,000 LAK every 8 months to one year. Another male respondent explained that the salary is raised every 6 months and staff can earn extra for diligence. Finally, one male waste labourer said that the company provides free meals three times a day and raise salary by 50,000 LAK every month. To provide professional development of employees is mandatory for all employers according to the Lao Labour Law. Yet very few workers in the sector are aware of or offered any professional development. Setting examples of HR policies with gender quotes could also help overcome barriers for formal employment. 5.6 Work-related Risks for Waste Workers As stated by both waste management company managers and workers, work in this sector is associated with hard physical labour while the work environment is both dirty and malodorous. Occupational risks occur at every stage in the waste management process, from the point where workers handle waste in the enterprises for collection or recycling, to the point of ultimate disposal. The solid waste management practices are dominated by manual handling tasks which may lead to higher incidents of muscular-skeletal disorders. Other health and safety hazards associated with waste management in the informal enterprises include incidents of respiratory infections, diarrhoea, viral hepatitis, and higher incidents of obstructive and restrictive disorders. Still, the risks and consequent costs of occupational hazards in waste management receives little attention in developing countries (Jerie, 2016). The lack of attention to occupational hazards in waste management was confirmed by this study, where the majority of interviewed company managers did not identify any health or safety risks to the work carried out by their manual labourers. Only eight of 17 managers stated that the work was related to any risks. Main risks mentioned included air pollution, road accidents and cuts from glass or other sharp objects. Some managers also noted that employees may get skin infections or diseases from the work, and a few mentioned that the hard physical labour and the difficulty of wearing PPE in the heat is a risk. Only one of the companies reported that they provide health and safety training and none provide any form of PPE. Civitas Company Limited Page 34 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) The interviewed waste labourers and waste pickers were given a matrix listing 12 options of work-related risks and asked to select risks associated with their current work. They were allowed multiple answers. Responses are illustrated in Figure 10 below as number of male and female workers respectively. It should be noted that only 17 of the 60 interviewed workers are female and that 16 of them are working as informal waste pickers. The two major risks identified by waste labourers are that the work is dirty and the toxic fumes from the waste are unhealthy, followed by it being very demanding physical labour. Female and male waste workers identified health related issues as the major work-related risks. The other risks identified differ slightly between male and female respondents likely because of the differences in tasks completed by men and women respectively. Men do the physically demanding part of the waste work, and they feel they lack the prospect of earning money, whereas female waste pickers are mainly responsible for separating and selling waste and therefore more concerned about the fluctuation of prices of recyclables. Female waste workers are worried about their children and if they should bring them to work, or allow them to stay home alone. Work-related risk Machinery around landfill is dangerous 0 Not being able to find any recyclables to collect 1 Bad treatment from people 1 My children are home alone 1 Losing this job 2 It is unsafe for my children 1 2 No prospect of earning more money 5 Other 3 5 Very demanding physical labour 12 Fluctuating price of recyclables 5 Toxic fumes from the waste are unhealthy 10 18 It's dirty 12 28 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Women Men Figure 10: Matrix of work-related risks for waste labourers (multiple answers) The interviewed company managers stated that no safety equipment is provided for day-to-day labourers, nor training, health insurance, enrolment in SSO, or paid sick leave. Only one recycling shop reported that they train their day-to-day labourers on safety measures. Contractual manual labourers (only men, including truck drivers, contracted manual labourers and technicians) are given access to safety trainings and equipment by 30% of consulted companies. Similar to waste labourers, both female and male waste pickers are worried about getting a disease because the work is dirty and that the toxic fumes from the waste is unhealthy. Other major risks reported by waste pickers is the fluctuation of prices of recyclables, being afraid of not finding any recyclables to collect, bad treatment from people, and that it is unsafe for their children to accompany them. Civitas Company Limited Page 35 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) One female waste picker from Xaythany district pointed out that she is afraid that waste pickers could be banned in the future, and that then she will lose the possibility of having additional income to support her family. While the work in waste management is associated with health and safety risks, there persists a lack of recognition of these risks, resulting in a lack of training and access to PPE for people working in the sector. This includes both formally employed workers and informal waste pickers. Yet, interviews confirmed that workers are concerned about their health and the dirty environment. Promotion of a safe work environment enforced by safe waste management procedures, adequate trainings, and provision of PPE may encourage more people to seek employment. 5.7 Domestic Workload and Household Decision-Making among Waste Workers Addressing the role of women in domestic work and household decision-making expands the perspective on gender gaps experienced by female waste workers. Additional to generating income as a waste worker, interviews revealed that women tend to be responsible for more household chores than men. As discussed in the Inception Report for this study, women taking on more household responsibilities, while keeping up with their economic activities, maintaining family relationships, and their voice and agency within the household and community are all components of women’s triple roles (Moser, 2012). Considering this triple role into the gender assessment allows the analysis to holistically identify gender gaps in all three spheres of women’s roles and provide appropriate recommendations accordingly. The assessment investigated women’s and men’s spheres of influence to fully understand their participation in waste management. Keeping in mind the differing access and control men and women have over resources, their levels of decision-making power and factors influencing these, is essential in identifying gender gaps and developing adequate recommendations on how to close these gaps. Provided with cards of 11 common household chores and the opportunity to add one ‘other’ chore, respondents were asked to identify the gender of household members responsible for each chore by placing the cards in piles for male, female and joint responsibility respectively. Both male and female waste labourers reported that more household tasks are done by women than by men. However, there exists gendered differences in the perception of how many tasks are the responsibility of both genders as illustrated in the table below. Responsibility Male respondents Female respondents Women are responsible 4.8 chores 7.0 chores Men are responsible 2.8 chores 1.2 chores Together 2.4 chores 1.6 chores Table 12: Division of 12 main household chores reported by waste labourers When asking waste pickers, male and female respondents provide similar answers. The main workload within the household lies with the women which indicates that women have less time for additional tasks besides their household work. Civitas Company Limited Page 36 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) Responsibility Male respondents Female respondents Women are responsible 5.5 chores 5.3 chores Men are responsible 2.3 chores 2.0 chores Together 2.8 chores 2.3 chores Table 13: Division of 12 main household chores reported by waste pickers HOUSEHOLD DECISION MAKING AMONG WASTE LABOURERS Men decide Women decide Both decide Respondents Male Female Male Female Male Female Children’s education 18% - 36% 25% 45% 75% Opening a bank account 35% - 23% 33% 42% 67% Taking out a loan 14% - 25% - 61% 100% Buying a vehicle 34% 33% 16% - 50% 67% Expensive medical treatments 19% - 6% 20% 75% 80% Taking time off work 64% - 4% 100% 32% - Moving house - - 4% - 69% 100% Changing jobs 74% - - 50% 26% 50% Table 14: Household decision-making pattern reported by waste labourers HOUSEHOLD DECISION MAKING AMONG WASTE PICKERS Men decide Women decide Both decide Respondents Male Female Male Female Male Female Children’s education - - 50% 36% 50% 64% Opening a bank account 25% 10% 25% 20% 50% 70% Taking out a loan - 8% - 8% 100% 83% Buying a vehicle 50% 17% - 17% 50% 67% Expensive medical treatments 25% 9% - - 75% 91% Taking time off work 67% 15% - 38% 33% 46% Moving house - - - - 100% 100% Changing jobs 33% 18% - 45% 67% 36% Table 15: Household decision-making pattern reported by waste pickers Civitas Company Limited Page 37 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) With regard to household decision-making, respondents were similarly asked to gender-tag a total of eight responsibility areas. As illustrated in Table 14 and 15 above, among interviewed waste labourers as well as waste pickers, decisions around taking out loans, having expensive medical treatments or moving house are mainly taken together, whereas decisions regarding children’s education lies more often with the woman. Taking time off work or changing jobs are mainly individual decisions taken alone. That female waste workers generally are responsible for more chores within the household and therefore mainly carry the burden of unpaid care work is not surprising. The Asian Development Bank (ADB)10 thus concludes in a study on Gender Dimensions of Unpaid Care Work in Laos that women shoulder a considerable proportion of unpaid care work compared to men. For women, the time spent on unpaid care work is five times greater than for men. With extra income and government infrastructure projects some household tasks have been reduced. However, unpaid care does not decrease with a rise in income. Women have little flexibility to control the number of hours they devoted to unpaid care work. This rigid gender division affects women’s capacity to engage in market-related work, learning, socializing, and community activities. Furthermore, there is a lack of recognition for unpaid care work in Lao PDR and pervasive gender social norms impact the capacity of men and women to contemplate a redistribution of unpaid care work. Predominant social norms foster the idea that women are responsible for unpaid care work, and it is difficult to challenge this belief. While women have decision-making power in their households, they also have extra workload in the form of unpaid work, which makes them dependent on flexible work hours. Part-time work options, access to childcare or subsidies that could facilitate the uptake of existing childcare services would benefit and possibly encourage informal, and in particular, female workers, to apply for a formal job in the waste management sector. In addition, this would remove children from a highly unsafe environment. 5.8 Reasons to Work in Waste Management In order to identify what keeps waste workers in their job, and what aspirations they may have for future employment, the interviewed waste workers were given a matrix with 12 reasons to keep their existing employment. First, they were asked to select one primary reason, and in the following question to provide secondary reasons with the option to select multiple answers. Primary reasons to keep the job are illustrated in the figure below in numbers of male and female workers respectively. It should be noted that only 17 of the 60 interviewed workers are female and that 16 of them are working as informal waste pickers. The primary motivation for male and female waste labourers to keep their current job is financial, either directly through the money they earn (64%) or by having a regular income (10%). Only about 10% keep the job out of necessity being the only job they can find. There are no significant differences between male and female respondents considering the low number of female respondents. As other primary reason that was not part of the matrix, one female waste labourer stated the proximity to the workplace is the main reason she is keeping her job. Very few respondents reported to have been influenced to take this job by family members or friends. 95% of male waste labourers thus reported to have decided by themselves to take this job, while all female and almost all male waste pickers decided on their own to take this job. 43% of female waste pickers stated that their husband could have stopped them from working in this sector. All of the waste pickers, male and female, stated the main reason keeping this job is because of the money they earn. No other option from matrix was selected by the waste pickers. 10 ADB (2020): Exploring the Gender Dimensions of Unpaid Care Work in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Civitas Company Limited Page 38 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) A number of reasons from the matrix were not selected by any of the respondents as a primary reason. These included caring about the environment, and access to social benefits, including health insurance, childcare, professional development, indicating that these aspects are either not provided or are of less importance to waste workers. Primary reason for keeping the job I care about the environment 0 I get health insurance 0 I can bring my children 0 Opportunities for professional development 0 It was the only work I could find 1 Don't want to drive long distances 1 Other 3 Flexible working hours 2 Job security 2 I'm interested in waste management 1 2 Fixed salary 4 Money 15 29 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 Women Men Figure 11: Primary reason for keeping this job reported by waste workers The main secondary reasons for waste labourers to keep their jobs include financial security and flexible working hours. As ‘other’ main reasons that were not part of the matrix, the following points were mentioned: ● Prefers freelance work (two male respondents) ● It is close to my house (one male/one female respondent) ● Difficult to find a job during COVID-19 (one male respondent) ● Have time for housework (one male respondent) ● The work is easy and not labour intensive (one male respondent) ● No secondary reasons to keep this job (five male/one female respondent). For waste pickers, the main secondary reasons to keep their job is the flexible working hours, that it is the only work they can find, and that they can bring their children to work. None of the waste pickers selected one of the remaining six options from the matrix (job security, fixed salary, professional development, health insurance, education level, interest in waste management). Six out of 12 waste pickers stated as “other” that there is no additional reason beside money to keep this job. The following secondary reasons for keeping the job as a waste picker have exclusively been provided by the interviewed female waste pickers and include: ● Being able to bring children to work ● Caring about the environment ● Being interested in waste management Civitas Company Limited Page 39 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) The findings show that people usually seek this work individually without influence from family members and that the main driver is income. While formal workers, value a regular salary and job security, informal workers are dependent on flexible working hours, however, express a desire for economic and social security. Overall, improved work conditions in the sector, including prospect of higher pay, social security and health and safety measures could encourage informal workers to seek formal employment. 5.9 Identified Gender Gaps for Waste Workers Access to formal employment The major gender gap identified in the sector is related to access to formal employment. Fewer women are employed at all levels of waste management, including public administration where the gap is most evident in provincial areas. The gap in access to formal employment leads to gaps in financial and social security, adequate health and safety at work, as well as any form of professional development. The study also identifies many barriers for women to seek formal employment including strong gendered perceptions of what work men and women can do, social stigma, access to education, and the imbalance of household responsibilities that tend to fall on women, including the need for flexible work hours or access to childcare. Finally, the economic incentive, as waste pickers may have the prospect of higher earnings in comparison to formally employed manual labourers in the sector. Strong perceptions of gender roles and social stigma According to the interviewed companies, women are not applying for jobs in the sector and even if women are applying, they might not be employed as they are perceived not capable for this “physically strenuous, dirty and smelly work”. Some company managers directly state that they are not accepting women as labourers because it is inappropriate work for women, and the manager at the landfill at KM32 specifically stated that they do not allow women to be truck drivers. The VCOMS manager interviewed at the landfill also mentioned that distance is a deterrent to female labourers, and is a reason why there are no female employees in the company. Even in the positions where women are working (administration and technician), the numbers are significantly low. Awareness raising around employability of women among the companies could support women in getting access to formal jobs in waste management instead of working as informal waste pickers. Some female waste pickers reported that one work-related risk for them is bad treatment from other people. Similar to waste labourers, any waste-related work seems specifically inappropriate for women with a negative perception among members of the community. No further detailed information was given by the female waste pickers, but this point seems to be important to be further assessed or at least taken into account when working with female waste pickers. Access to education Besides the perception that women cannot do the hard work, limited education may present another barrier for women to enter the formal sector. According to World Bank data from 2015, adult literacy levels sit at 90% for male, compared to 79% for female, citizens11. This education gap is visible in the waste management sector. In this study, female waste pickers generally show lower education levels than their male counterparts. According to the Country Gender Action Plan only 60% of women in poor household can read and write compared to over 80% for men. Lower education levels hinder female participation in the formal waste sector, where employers possibly demand a certain degree of formal schooling completed with acceptable literacy levels. Trainings on 11 https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ADT.LITR.MA.ZS?locations=LA Civitas Company Limited Page 40 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) literacy and numeracy skills would benefit the female day-to-day labourers and waste pickers towards entering formal employment in this sector. Domestic workload - unpaid versus paid work Women have significant decision making power within the household, however they also have an extra workload. They are responsible for majority of household chores, including childcare, which may lead them to seek informal work, where flexible working hours are possible and/or taking the children with them to work. Picking waste may provide a good income for an un-skilled labourer, however, women tend to work less days and make less earnings from waste picking in comparison to their male counterparts. This is likely due to the extra domestic workload. Childcare responsibilities without adequate day care facilities constrain female day-to-day manual labourers and female waste pickers in accessing formal employment in the waste management sector. According to UNICEF Laos 12 approximately 70% of 5-year-old children do not have Early Childhood Education (ECE) opportunities. Although public and private pre-schools are operating in the targeted districts, places are limited, fees differ and are sometimes perceived as too high. Further reasons why children under six are not in day care or pre-school could be further assessed. Access to financial security While informal work as a waste picker provides a source of income, and maybe even an income higher than a formalised job in the sector, a formal job would provide a higher level of financial security, in terms of a regular monthly salary. One major risk stated by female and male waste pickers is the fluctuation of prices of recyclables which according to the waste companies depend on the market price and can be different every day. Another risk related to recyclables is that they are afraid of not finding any recyclables to collect. Waste picking is a highly volatile income stream with limited bargaining power of individual waste pickers. According to the Global Green Growth Institute13 unlike collection in the streets recyclables recovered at the landfill are soiled and unclean and are exchanged at considerably lower rates than clean recyclables. Access to social security A major constraint for both women and men working in the waste management sector is having access to the social benefits and security that should come with formal employment. However, only few of the interviewed formally contracted manual labourers have access to health insurance and are enrolled in the SSO although article 71 of the Lao Labour Law states that “every employee must be insured and make payment into the National Social Security Fund to receive social security benefits.” Enrolment in SSO, provides access to free health care, paid sick leave, work accident compensation and a pension. For women in particular it also provides access to three months paid maternity leave. Informal workers such as waste pickers are generally not protected by the Lao Labour Law and are not able to receive social protection from the state or any other entity. Majority of both female and male respondents express a desire to be enrolled in SSO. If such benefits were indeed provided by formal employment it could encourage informal workers to seek formal employment. Access to professional development Opportunities for professional development is an entitlement for formally employed labourers according to the Lao Labour Law however, rarely provided by any of the consulted waste management companies. While 12 Early Childhood Development (ECD) | UNICEF Lao People's Democratic Republic 13 Global Green Growth Institute (2017): Solid Waste Management in Vientiane, Lao P.D.R Civitas Company Limited Page 41 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) interviewed workers did not rate opportunities for professional development highly when identifying benefits, they wish to have, improved access to relevant trainings may still encourage informal workers to seek formal employment if focus is put on it and how it may lead to professional advancement and higher pay. Access to a safe work environment Work in waste management is associated with major health and safety risks, however, a lack of recognition of these risks, generally result in a lack of training and access to PPE for people working in the sector, including both formally employed workers and informal waste pickers. Interviews confirmed that workers are concerned about their health and the dirty environment. Female and male waste workers identified health risks as the major work-related risk. They are afraid of getting a disease and having a road accident. They also fear that that the environment is unsafe for their children. Promotion of a safe work environment enforced by safe waste management procedures, adequate trainings, and provision of PPE may encourage more people to seek employment. Civitas Company Limited Page 42 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) 6 Children Working in Waste Management 6.1 Presence of Children at Waste Management Sites The Lao PDR Labour Force Survey and The Child Labour Survey, both carried out in 2010, estimate that about 15% of Lao children aged 5-17 years, were employed in some economic activity at the time of the survey. Among these 265,000 children, 67% (178,000) can be considered as child labour and 49% (130,000) can be termed hazardous child labour. While the survey did not include waste management as a separate sector of industry, it estimates that two out of three working children are categorized as unpaid family workers, helping parents or other family members. This may be on the family farm, however, it could also include going out to work with their parents or other relatives. In order to improve the understanding of the extent and nature of child labour in waste management questions about children working in the sector were included as a cross-cutting issue in all survey question guides and thus asked to all respondents at the various levels of the sector. All stakeholders at the landfills reported seeing children there. Most of these children were seen helping their caregivers collect recyclables to sell. This is a serious health hazard as it is the most dangerous type of workplace in the waste management sector. It is a largely unregulated space with no protective measures taken with the most amount of toxic or dangerous materials children could pick up or be in contact with. Most interviewees tend to agree that children should not be at the landfill and there should be stricter regulations to stop children from being there. However, eight out of 30 waste labourers and waste pickers at the landfill believed children and youth workers should be allowed to work there to earn money and help their parents’ work. VCOMS and UDAA officials reported there are no children at recycling shops. However, half of the consulted recycling shop managers reported to see children around and three of them to see children around very often. The children had been seen selling different types of recyclables or wandering around the area with other children. While city officials from all four districts agree that no children should be allowed to work in this sector, two recycling shops and one labourer felt it was okay for children or youth to come help their parents to earn money. City officials in Xaythany, Naxaythong and Xay districts reported there are no children at waste collection companies. The official in Phonhong district however reported there are many children at waste collection companies to separate and sell recyclable waste. The Phonhong official reported they do not accept these children and youth work at the company but that it is difficult to stop them because they have no other work to do. Two waste collection companies in Phonhong also supported this claim that there are children at the waste collection companies scavenging for recyclables and other things to sell. The transfer site manager reported there are no children or youth in the area. However, four labourers working at the transfer site reported seeing youth workers there as waste collectors on trucks. This is in line with reports from waste labourers in waste collection companies who have also said there are youth workers collecting waste. Of these labourers, two felt youth should not work at this site because the environment is bad for their health and it is labour intensive work. One labourer felt they should be able to work as they do not have access to other work. Nine out of 12 female waste pickers have children to take care of and three of them bring their children sometimes, and one very rarely. Two of the four male respondents have children to take care of and one of them brings the children sometimes, and the other one very rarely. It is evident that there are more children at the landfill than any other workplace in the waste management sector. This is also supported by the fact that higher proportions of waste pickers bring their children to work than waste Civitas Company Limited Page 43 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) labourers (37.5% and 9% respectively). When asked waste labourers and waste pickers how to prevent children and youth workers from working at waste sites the following statements were given: Respondents Methods to prevent children and youth workers working at a waste site Waste labourers ● Advise them to continue studying because this work is dirty ● Find new jobs or send them to school ● Make prohibitions to prevent that children and youth get sick ● Parents should be instructed by the company not to bring their children to work ● Strict restrictions by companies and waste sites ● Introduce an age limit for working at the site Waste pickers ● Find new jobs for them ● Let the parents take care of them at home ● Restrictions are required to prevent them from entering the landfill ● Send them to school to get knowledge and go to work in a factory ● Should send them to school for their best future ● There should be restrictions at the landfill ● In fact, there are prohibitions, but they do not stop them from coming Table 15: Methods to prevent children and youth from working at waste site proposed by waste workers 6.2 Identified Risks for Children While there may be a general consensus against employment of children in the sector, children still come to pick recyclables either alone or with their caregivers. Risks for children include health risks which are more pronounced for children and young adults if they engage in strenuous work in toxic environments. Other risks relate to future possibilities for other work streams – children who leave school to follow their caregivers’ employment patterns risk limiting their own opportunities for future career development. Clear guidelines on age-appropriate work, prohibitions for children under the age of 14 at waste dump sites, improved access to child care resources, and on-going work to improve the breadth and quality of the school system would all contribute to reducing the number of children engaged in risky employment strategies. In order to encourage uptake of appropriate childcare, including enrolling children at kindergartens and pre- schools for under 6-year-old and ensuring ongoing attendance at primary- and secondary schooling for older children, it could be considered to provide workers with a financial child benefit as part of their pay check, if they provided proof of their children’s enrolment. According to the Lao Tax Law, child benefits are not subject to personal income tax, a specific child benefit would not only target parents in need but also be a more affordable way to provide this benefit in comparison with a general increase in salary. Civitas Company Limited Page 44 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) 7 Gender Profile of Household Level Waste Management At the household level, interviews with men and women were conducted to develop an understanding of the gender division of domestic roles related to waste production and waste management in the household, any gender differences in environmental perceptions and attitudes and how these may affect consumption preferences and risk concerns. It was found that women play a major role both in household production of waste based on consumption choices, as well as in the household level management of waste. 7.1 Household Characteristics The final sample included interviews with a total of 80 individuals, representing 80 households, 20 per district. Slightly more men were interviewed (52.5%) than women (47.5%). The gender composition of the respondents per district is summarized in the table below. Province District Male Female Total Vientiane Capital Naxathong 10 10 20 Vientiane Capital Xaythany 11 9 20 Vientiane Province Phonhong 10 10 20 Oudomxay Xay 11 9 20 TOTAL 42 38 80 Table 16: Sample of household respondents Close to half of the respondents are between 30-50 years of age with the other half over 50 years of age. Only three respondents, all interviewed in Xay district, were younger than 30 years. Average household size is typical for the Lao context of 5.6 person/household. The primary language of the respondents was Lao, only in Xay district more respondents speak Khmou. The majority of the respondents are married. However, 24% of female respondents are either single, divorced or widowed. The education level is higher among male respondents as only 37% of female respondents finished secondary school or higher education compared to 50% of the male respondents. Education of respondents No formal schooling Women 16% 11% 11% 26% 34% 3% Dropped out in primary school Finished primary school Dropped out in secondary school Men 5% 12% 21% 12% 31% 19% Finished high school 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Finished university/college Figure 2: Education level of household respondents Civitas Company Limited Page 45 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) The majority of the female respondents (65%) are household caretakers, and the majority of male respondents (61%) are unskilled workers. The 7% of male respondents that stated to be household caretakers are located in the urban area of Vientiane Capital. If female respondents are in employment, the majority stated to be head or manager of a business (24% of all female respondents). In Xay district no female respondent stated to be head or manager of a business. Employment Status Household caretaker 7% 65% Unskilled worker 5% 61% Head or manager of a business 5% 24% Unemployed 3% 20% White-collar worker (administration) 7% Blue-collar worker (technician) 3% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Women Men Figure 3: Employment status of household respondents As illustrated in the figure below, almost half of the respondents in the four districts reported that they can only cover basic needs within their household but need to take out loans for additional household expenses such as school fees. Households being able to cover these household expenses are however not able to afford unforeseen expenses such as for medical emergencies. The economic security of the respondents varies little between the four districts. Economic security of households 0,5 0,45 0,45 0,45 0,4 0,4 0,4 0,4 0,35 0,3 0,25 0,2 0,15 0,15 0,15 0,1 0,1 0,1 0,05 0,05 0,05 0,05 0,05 0 Naxaythong Xaythany Phonhong Xay barely cover basic needs cover basic needs cover household expenses cover household expenses and unforseen expenses cover household expenses, unforeseen expenses and investments Figure 4: Economic security of households Civitas Company Limited Page 46 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) 7.2 Control over Family Income and Household Responsibilities 100% of interviewed male respondents and 70% of female respondents consider the husband as head of household. However, the latter figure includes divorced, widowed and single women and out of the married female respondents 90% stated that the husband is the head of household. The majority of male and female respondents stated that both wife and husband are contributing to the household income with almost half of male and female respondents stating that children14 still contribute to the income of their household. One third of the households have a joint bank account, another third has no bank account, 15% reported that only the husband has a bank account and 17% that only the wife has a bank account. There have been no significant differences been identified between the four districts. Contributors to household income 100% 83% 80% 63% 63% 55% 60% 42% 36% 40% 20% 3% 5% 3% 0% Husband Wife Children Whole family Children-in-law Brother-in-law Male respondents Female respondents Figure 5: Contributors to household income When it comes to the control over the household income, the majority of 38% male and 61% female respondents stated that the women control all income and spending with another 24% and 18%, respectively, stating that both control the income together. There are no significant differences identified between the four districts, expect that Xay district had the highest number of respondents stating that the husband controls all income (30%). Control over household income 80% 61% 60% 38% 40% 24% 18% 24% 8% 14% 8% 20% 5% 0% Wife controls all income Husband and wife Husband controls all Children controls the Husband and wife each control the income income income controls own income together Male Respondents Female Respondents Figure 6: Control over household income 14 The majority of the respondents who stated that the children are contributing to the household income are over 50 years old. Therefore, it can be concluded that these are not working children (0-14 years), but their grown-up children who live together with them in the household. Civitas Company Limited Page 47 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) This is confirmed if only looking at the responses from married male and female respondents stating that income is mainly controlled by the woman or together by both partners. Control over household income - married respondents only 80% 62% 60% 42% 40% 24% 29% 20% 10% 16% 11% 3% 3% 0% wife controls all husband controls all husband and wife husband and wife daughter controls son controls income income income control all the each controls own income income together income married women married men Figure 6: Control over household income - married respondents only Female respondents indicate that most household expenditures are within the responsibility of the wife, or are made together with their partner. Male respondents stated that there is mainly a joint responsibility for paying household expenditures. As the table below shows that 60-90% of women (depending on responses by female or male interviewees) are either alone or together with their husband responsible for purchasing food and other household products, drinking water and the payment of waste management. Responsibilities for paying household expenditures FEMALE RESPONDENTS Husband Wife Together Others Food and other household products 5% 53% 37% 5% Drinking water 5% 50% 40% 5% Transport 11% 42% 42% 5% Furniture and household appliances 5% 40% 50% 5% Education fees 5% 40% 45% 5% Medical costs 5% 40% 50% 5% Clothing 5% 47% 43% 5% Electricity 5% 47% 43% 5% Water bill 5% 50% 40% 5% Waste management 5% 47% 43% 5% Home repairs 5% 45% 45% 5% Family debt 5% 40% 50% 5% Family savings 5% 53% 37% 5% Total 6% 45% 43% 6% MALE RESPONDENTS Husband Wife Together Others Food and other household products 19% 29% 43% 9% Drinking water 21% 31% 41% 7% Transport 19% 21% 53% 7% Furniture and household appliances 21% 12% 60% 7% Education fees 19% 21% 50% 10% Medical costs 19% 19% 52% 10% Civitas Company Limited Page 48 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) Clothing 19% 19% 55% 7% Electricity 19% 24% 50% 7% Water bill 19% 19% 50% 12% Waste management 17% 21% 48% 14% Home repairs 17% 17% 57% 9% Family debt 19% 14% 57% 10% Family savings 19% 26% 52% 3% Total 19% 22% 52% 7% Table 17: Responsibilities for paying for household expenditures As women take on the majority of the household responsibilities including control of income and expenditure, awareness raising and other initiatives for social behaviour change in household waste management could be more successful if it were targeted towards women. 7.3 Consumption Preferences The majority of interviewed men and women do their grocery shopping at fresh markets. Only a small number of female and male respondents shop at Minimarts, Supermarkets and grocery stores. These respondents live in Vientiane capital and one in Vientiane District. Place of grocery shopping Grocery store 3% 7% Mini and supermarkets 5% Fresh market 92% 93% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% women men Figure 7: Gender division and preferred place of grocery shopping Thus, when planning for interventions and awareness raising to, for example, reduce the use of single-use plastic bags, fresh markets need to be targeted. As illustrated above, women are mainly in charge of doing grocery shopping and usually shop alone rather than together with the husband. In order to identify communication opportunities related to waste management, interviewees were asked to place themselves on a linear scale from 1 to 10 points for five different descriptions of consumption preferences: • Check origin of the product in detail (1) to not checking the origin of the product at all (10) • Buy high quantities of cheap products (1) to focus on lower quantities but of good quality (10) • Having nothing wrapped in plastic at all (1) to having all products wrapped in plastic (10) • Preferring single wrapping of products (1) to having large volumes wrapped together (10) • Perception that purchases in small volumes is cheaper (1) vs. purchase in large volumes (10) Civitas Company Limited Page 49 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) Preference in Xaythany Preference in Naxaythong check origin of check origin of product (1) vs. not product (1) vs. checking (10) not checking 10 (10) 10 small volume buy more of 8 cheaper (1) vs. 5 cheaper products small volume 6 buy more of large volume (1) vs. fewer good cheaper (1) vs. cheaper cheaper (10) quality (10) 4 0 large volume 2 products (1) cheaper (10) 0 vs. fewer… single portion not wrapped in wrapping (1) vs. plastic (1) vs. single portion not wrapped large volume plastic wrapped wrapping (1) in plastic (1) wrapping (10) (10) vs. large vs. plastic volume… wrapped (10) Men Women Men Women Preference in Xay Preference in Phonhong check origin of check origin of product (1) vs. product (1) vs. not checking not checking (10) 10 (10) 10 8 8 buy more of small volume buy more of small volume 6 6 cheaper cheaper (1) cheaper cheaper (1) vs. 4 4 products (1) vs. vs. large products (1) large volume 2 2 fewer good volume vs. fewer cheaper (10) 0 0 quality (10) cheaper (10) good quality… single portion single portion not wrapped in not wrapped wrapping (1) wrapping (1) plastic (1) vs. in plastic (1) vs. large vs. large plastic vs. plastic volume volume wrapped (10) wrapped (10) wrapping (10) wrapping (10) Men Women Men Women Figure 8: Consumption preferences As illustrated in the figures above, findings differ between districts and gender of the respondents. Female respondents from Xaythany district think small volumes are cheaper whereas men think it is cheaper to buy larger volumes, and they are more likely to check the origin of products. Male respondents from the Naxaythong district check the origin of the product more than compared to their female counterparts. Male interviewees from Phonhong district prefer single portion wrapping whereas female respondents prefer large volume wrapping. Female and male respondents from all four district prefer fewer good quality products rather than buying more, cheaper products. Single portion wrapping is still preferred by most of the respondents in Xaythany. Plastic bags Plastic bags are mainly used for grocery shopping, and most of the supermarkets and fresh markets provide plastic bags free of charge. 95% of male and 100% of female respondents use the plastic bags provided by the seller. The average number of plastic bags used per week is 16. This number only considers the plastic bags obtained during F Civitas Company Limited F Page 50 i 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDRi g g u Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com u | www.civitas-consulting.com r r e e S S Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) grocery shopping and the usage is probably higher when including take away food and drinks. There are no significant differences between the four districts and between men and women. In case the stores would charge for plastic bags 45% of female and 30% of male respondents would start bringing their own bags. Almost one third already bring own bags sometimes. Only 8% of female respondents would pay for the plastic bags. 36% of male respondents are not willing to pay for plastic bags in comparison to only 13% of female respondents. 53% of women and 40% of men are at least willing to pay 500 LAK per plastic bag. The respondents who are not willing to pay could alternatively bring their own bag for grocery shopping. Plastic water bottles 88% of male and 84% of female respondents buy 18-liter bottles of drinking water. 11% of female and 5% of male respondents prefer smaller bottles (2.5l and under). No respondent is drinking water straight from the tap. The main reason for female and male respondents to buy large water bottles is that they are clean, convenient and cheap. Reasons for buying smaller water bottles were that they are easy to carry, convenient, and one respondent also thought that they are cleaner than the large bottles. Overall, consumption preferences show that the majority of grocery shopping is done at fresh markets. Whilst women do the majority of the grocery shopping, men are more likely to check the origin of a product and also believe that it is cheaper to buy large volumes, however they also prefer single portion wrapping. Women would buy smaller volumes but prefer larger volume wrapping. Both men and women believe in buying fewer good quality products than more cheaper products. Plastic bags are used by nearly all of the respondents and on average are using 16 bags per week. This is because they are free to use and convenient. Only 8% of respondents currently bring their own bags to the market. If a fee were to be introduced nearly half of female respondents stated that they would bring their own bags, however, 53% of women said they would be willing to pay at least 500LAK per plastic bag for the convenience that it brings. Plastic bottles for drinking water are commonly used in households as water from the tap is largely undrinkable. 88% of men and 85% of women buy 18 litre bottles from the water suppliers as they are cheap and convenient. Those using smaller, individual bottles of water believe they are cleaner than the large bottles and more convenient to use. Convenience is the most common reasoning in consumption preferences. As discussed above, women are performing most of the household duties as well as the majority of unpaid care work, on top of their paid employment. Education and awareness raising campaigns focussing on the alternatives to single use plastic that highlight convenience and time saving could encourage behaviour change. Fresh markets are an ideal place to target initially, as most of the respondents do their grocery shopping there. It should be noted that any fees or taxes introduced on plastic could have a negative impact on women in the household, so a money saving, or economic incentive to not use plastic could be considered. 7.4 Gender in Household Waste Management As the figures below show, of respondents living in Vientiane Capital, at least 40% separate their waste whereas in the provinces less than 20% separate their waste. There is no significant difference between male and female respondents with low waste separation levels for both genders. Compost and food waste is mainly dumped where it is convenient. Some put in a separate bag for the waste trucks or dump it at an official site by themselves. Glass is mainly left out for waste pickers, taken to the recycling shop, dumped at an official site or where it is convenient. Cardboards are mainly taken to a recycling shop or left out for waste pickers. Plastic bottles are mainly taken to a recycling shop, left out for waste pickers, but also burnt. Scrap metal and batteries are either taken to the recycling shop or left out for waste pickers. Civitas Company Limited Page 51 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) Waste separation per district Waste seperation per gender 100% 20% 15% 100% 40% 45% 31% 29% 50% 50% 80% 85% 69% 71% 60% 55% 0% 0% Men Women Naxaythong Xaythany Phonhong Xay Separates some waste Does not separate waste at all Separates some waste Does not separate waste at all Figure 10: Waste separation per district Figure 93: Waste separation per gender The female and male respondents identified either husband and wife or the wife alone responsible for separating the waste. Children are responsible in some families as well. Half of the respondents that separate their waste bring the recyclables to a recycling shop to sell it and in some cases, waste pickers get recyclables from households as well. The main reason for women to separate waste is to sell it and for men it is for cleanliness. Two women also stated that some materials do not burn, or they use food waste to feed animals. 25% of male respondents stated that is more convenient in the sense that garbage is easier to handle and prepare for disposal. How do you dispose of this? Compost/ Paper/ food Glass Plastic Metal Batteries Cardboard waste Leave it for waste pickers 8% 29% 33% 32% 45% 33% In separate bag for collection 20% 8% 5% - - 6% Burn it - - 5% 16% - - Dump it at official site 16% 21% - - - - Dump it where convenient 56% 17% - - - 6% Take it to a recycling shop - 25% 57% 52% 55% 55% Who is responsible Wife or Wife or Wife or Wife or Wife or Wife or both both both both both both Table 18: Disposal of household waste Waste separation again seems to fall to the responsibility of women in the household, although both men and women perform this task. Waste separation is also low amongst both genders. 71% of women do not separate their waste, due to them having more duties in the house and being in employment, therefore having less time to do other things. This in turn suggests waste management is not a priority to women. Half of those who do separate their waste would take their items to a recycling shop and the next most popular choice is to leave it for the waste pickers, which would save time and could be promoted to those non waste separating households in an awareness raising strategy. Civitas Company Limited Page 52 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) An economic incentive for improved waste separation could be considered for any intervention or awareness raising campaign among households. As separating waste is not considered convenient or time saving, the idea of being able to make more money, or ways of saving money may encourage households to separate waste. As households are concerned for the health of their children and families, the environmental and health benefits to separating waste could also be promoted to engage and motivate people into better waste disposal. 7.5 Household Satisfaction with Waste Collection Services 69% of the interviewed households stated that waste collection services are available in their area, and 65% of the households who have available services actually use the waste collection service. 50% of the respondents from Xay district stated that waste collection service is available in their area whereas in Phonhong 80% of the respondents have access to waste collection services. In Vientiane Capital at least 70% of the respondents have access to waste collection services. In Xaythany district the respondents pay 40,000 LAK per month for waste collection services. In Naxaythong district female respondents also stated that they pay 40,000 LAK whereas male respondents answered between 15,000 and 30,000 LAK. Women stated the correct fee as charged by VCOMS on a monthly basis. This confirms the statement that women are in charge of paying waste collection services. In Xay district the respondents pay 15,000 LAK for waste collection service per month and in Phonhong it varies between 10,000 and 30,000 LAK. Out of the 44 household not using waste collection services 76% burn their household waste. There are no significant differences between men and women and between the districts. 5% of respondents in Vientiane Capital and Vientiane Province responded that they dump their household waste at a landfill. Method of waste disposal Naxaythong Xaythany Phonhong Xay Total Burn it 82% 57% 75% 90% 76% Keep in personal open area - 19% 5% 5% 7% Don't know 4.5% 10% 10% - 6% Bury the trash - - 5% - 2% Dump at landfill 4.5% 5% 5% - 2% Dump in open area - 5% - 5% 2% Separated for composting 4.5% 5% - - 2% Separated to sell 4.5% - - - 1% Table 19: Household waste disposal If more households were to utilise this service, there is a need for improvement of waste collection services and further awareness raising on how to improve disposal and separation of household waste. A specific focus on avoiding the burning of waste, which has been officially banned in Vientiane Capital and has a major impact on air quality and health, may help change this behaviour. 15% of female and male respondents stated that they don’t know how to improve waste disposal methods. Awareness raising campaigns on waste separation and disposal for households as well as improving waste collection system are of upmost importance. Civitas Company Limited Page 53 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) Rating of waste collection service 60% 39% 40% 31% 26% 29% 19% 16% 16% 19% 20% 2% 3% 0% Very bad Not so good Average Good Very good Men Women Figure 11: Rating of waste collection services The quality of available waste collection service was rated by respondents from very bad to very good on a five- point scale. While 50% of male respondents rated the service below average majority of female respondents rated the service average or above. Households mentioned that the companies could improve their services by collecting waste timely and by keeping streets clean and ensuring waste is not left behind after collection. Willingness to pay for improved waste collection services Improved waste collection services could lead to increased price of services. As illustrated above, this increased financial burden would mainly affect women, who are responsible for paying majority of household expenses including waste service fees. Overall, respondents would be willing to pay 20,000 LAK more on average, if waste collection services would be improved. 35% respondents of Xaythany district would also be willing to pay 40,000 LAK more, and 10% even 50,000 LAK more for an improved service. Any intervention would need to work with VCOMS/UDAA as well as the subcontracted private waste collection companies in improving improve their reliability and service quality, at the same promoting these improvements among households, specifically the women who are mainly in charge of the household income and paying for expenses. 7.6 Identified Gender Gaps at Household Level Health burden of waste management Women are mainly responsible for waste separation and therefore, face greater health risks when disposing of and burning waste. 76% of families who are not using waste collection services burn their waste. Improved waste management services could decrease the number of households burning waste. Furthermore, the risk to women and children of becoming sick from toxic fumes triggered by burning could be decreased. Air pollution is a major concern, therefore, a focus on making the connection between burning waste and air pollution when addressing behaviour change would be favourable. A study by the World Bank15 found that 10,000 deaths annually in the Lao PDR can be attributed to the impact of pollution, and household air pollution represents 44% of these deaths alone. Financial burden of waste management The study demonstrates the major role women play at the household level of waste production and management. Women oversee household shopping and thereby to some extent control the amount of waste produced by the household. 15 The World Bank (2021): Environmental Challenges for Green Growth and Poverty Reduction: A Country Environmental Analysis for the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Civitas Company Limited Page 54 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) As women are largely in control of the household income, and responsible for expenditures related to waste management (food and other household products, drinking water and waste collection), it is important that any interventions such as awareness raising and social behaviour change campaigns especially target women. Any fees or taxes implemented or increased in relation to waste production (ie plastic bags and bottles, higher fees of collection services etc.) could negatively impact women. Female household members could be held responsible for higher expenditures for grocery shopping, and this could lead to imbalance within the household. In addition, if women need to spend more time on household waste separation, their time spent on household tasks increase further. Economic incentives that lead to saving money or earning money at a household level could be considered as a way to motivate women to spend the time separating waste, and an improvement in waste collection services could also trigger a behaviour change in how waste is disposed of. Civitas Company Limited Page 55 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) 8 Summary of Identified Gaps and Recommendations 8.1 Summary of Identified Gender Gaps Access to formal jobs Whilst Lao PDR ranked first in the last Global Gender Gap report 2021 of the World Economic Forum in terms of economic participation and opportunity 16 , the gender perceptions of employers limit the access to formal employment for women in the waste management sector. A change of perception on the employers’ side along with affirmative actions (e.g. gender quota in all positions) within companies, needs to be promoted in order to guarantee access for women to formal jobs within the sector in line with the Lao Labour Law article 96 that states that “female employees have the right to employment and professions in every sector”. In public administration of waste management it is still difficult for female staff to reach higher positions within the departments. This results in a disparity in the level of compensation received by female civil servants. Especially in the provinces, the significant gender gap in representation persists. Currently none of the consulted department has HR policies in place to mitigate or improve the current imbalanced gender ratio. This gap can be connected to further implications such as economic security, stagnating professional development, and lack of access to different opportunities for female staff in public administration, especially in the provinces. In the waste companies, women face multiple barriers to access formal employment. Women are often perceived as physically less capable, compared to their male counterparts and some companies responded that waste work is not appropriate for women. The social stigma that lies around females within the sector clearly hinders employment. A number of female waste pickers reported that the work is seen as inappropriate for women among members of the community and stated being treated badly by people as a work-related risk. Limited education presents another entry barrier for women into the formal sector. Female waste pickers have lower education levels than their male counterparts and might have difficulties to enter the formal waste management sector due to limited literacy and numeracy skills. Finally, women face a triple burden which refers to the fact that women are the primary care givers for children, sick or elderly family members, need to contribute to the household economy and have agency and voice in the household and community. This can prevent female waste workers from entering the formal sector as fixed contracts often include fixed working hours and women need to spend more hours on household tasks than men and therefore, have less time for paid work. Besides the money they earn, waste pickers also mentioned the freedom to work when they want as a main driver, which especially allows women to combine work with household tasks and childcare. A lack of childcare options further constrains female day-to-day labourers and waste pickers in accessing formal employment. Access to regular income The lack of access to formal employment result in a lack of access to regular income and financial security. Day- to-day work and waste picking may be paid well occasionally but are highly volatile income streams with female and male waste pickers stating the fluctuation of prices of recyclables as a major risk. In addition, recyclables recovered at the landfill are soiled and unclean and are exchanged at considerably lower rates than clean recyclables. Access to health care and workplace safety Only a small number of the interviewed waste labourers – all male – have access to health insurance and/or are enrolled in SSO. Informal workers such as waste pickers are not protected by the Lao Labour Law and have no 16 https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2021.pdf Civitas Company Limited Page 56 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) access to social security. Given the higher share of women working in informal settings as day-to-day labourers or waste pickers, they are particularly affected. Female and male waste workers identified hygiene-related diseases, or being involved in a road accident, as major risks related to workplace safety. As female waste labourers tend to work in in the informal sector, they have no access to PPE or safety trainings offered by employers to their formal employees. Carriers of the financial and health burden of household wate management Women are mostly in control of the household income and responsible for grocery shopping at fresh markets, where single-use plastic is still the preferred packaging. They also manage the expenditures related to waste collection and the majority would be willing to pay higher fees if the quality of waste collection services improved. However, women would then be responsible to manage the higher household expenditures. Women are also the main responsible for waste separation and disposal and therefore at higher risk of getting sick or injured when disposing or burning waste, which is a still common practice. Only a small share of households separates waste to sell recyclables to waste pickers or at recycling shops with the lowest share in Phonhong and Xay district where there are fewer recycling options available. 8.2 Identified Risks for Children Access to education While there may be a general consensus against employment of children in the sector, children still come to pick recyclables either alone or with their caregivers. While these children may provide an important contribution to the household income the work may hinder future possibilities for other work streams - children who leave school to follow their caregivers’ employment patterns risk limiting their own opportunities for future career development. Improved access to childcare and schooling resources, and on-going work to improve the breadth and quality of the school system would all contribute to reducing the number of children engaged in risky employment strategies. Access to a safe work environment Health risks for children and young adults are more pronounced if they engage in strenuous work in toxic environments. Clear guidelines on age-appropriate work, prohibitions for children under 14 at waste dump sites would help remove this risk. 8.3 Recommendations Transitioning female day-to-day labourers and waste pickers into formal employment The Project can support the transition of female day-to-day labourers and waste pickers to work within existing and/or new structures to provide access to formal employment. This support could include creation of jobs specifically targeting female workers, capacity building targeting female workers, setting gender targets for employment and training participation, and provision of benefits making formal employment attractive to female workers. More research is needed on what specific tasks are most suitable and attractive for women, what working hours are preferred, what skills would be needed, and what logistic support would be needed, e.g. childcare options and transport to and from sites. Creating opportunities for formal employment will contribute to a regular income and financial safety, increased job security and reduce social stigma. The study of the gender roles in waste management Civitas Company Limited Page 57 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) conducted by Ocean Conservancy in 201917 found that women most profit from a “semi” formalization of the waste sector. Implying the provision of benefits and stability of formal employment but the flexibility of the entrepreneurship model. Another study of the International Environmental Technology Centre18 concluded that formalizing waste activities could also force women out of income opportunities. It is important to analyse the potential threat for women and implement special measures to safeguard women’s interest and protect their access to and control of resources. Women for climate justice19 confirm this concern as they found that if waste collection and treatment is transformed into formal work within the private sector, employment tends to be given to men, excluding women and depriving them of this important source of income. Providing new technology and improved waste management practices on the sites, the Project has an opportunity to showcase best international practice for female employment, which would benefit women and enable an adjustment in perceptions and stigmatization of female waste workers. While training for awareness raising is an important component, the showcasing of practical guidelines and changes to policy and practice will have a strong impact on the promotion of female employment in the waste management sector. Possible indicator: ● number of jobs targeting women created at new/exiting waste management sites ` Setting quotas for female employment The Project may ensure that jobs created are indeed occupied by female workers by clearly communicating the gender focus of the Project and by setting clear gender targets for employment at all levels. Possible indicator: ● number of female day-to-day labourers and waste pickers transitioned into formal jobs Increasing skills of female manual labourers To increase the employability of female informal workers and avoid the risk of new generated jobs given to male workers, the Project could offer capacity building training targeting women and set clear gender targets for enrolment into these trainings. To address the low education levels that limit access to formal employment for day-to-day labourers and waste pickers, basic education such as literacy and numeracy classes along with technical courses for each site could be offered by the Project. Possible indicators: ● number of female unskilled workers who have completed task trainings ● number of female unskilled workers who have completed basic education courses Increasing the job attractiveness for women Making formal jobs in the waste management sector attractive for women is another key factor to increase the number of women seeking formal employment. Employers state that even if they would hire female candidates, 17 Ocean Conservancy, 2019, The role of gender in waste management. Gender Perspectives on Waste in India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. 18 International Environmental Technology Centre, 2015, Gender and Waste Management, Did you know? 19 Women for climate justice: waste, gender and climate change. gender cc - women for climate justice Civitas Company Limited Page 58 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) women do not apply for open positions. To increase the job attractiveness for female waste labourers, employers would need to guarantee a minimum of SSO enrolment, or another option for health and accident insurance, pension and paid sick and maternity leave, as benefits from employment. Providing access to childcare would also eliminate one of the major constraints to commit to a formal job reported by the female waste workers. Children often need to accompany their parents to the sites as there are no other childcare options available, however, this poses major health and safety risks to children. It is advised that children under the age of 18 are not given access to the sites under any circumstances. To support this and aid families in continuing their employment, companies could offer financial support that is a non-taxable benefit to parents (dispersed to the primary caretaker) with children under six in order to subsidize day care. Those families with children over six years old could also benefit from economic aid towards school fees, this would encourage parents to send their children to school and keep them in education longer, as well as alleviate concerns of the financial cost of doing so. Finally, awareness raising at the community level could help eliminate the common perception that waste-related work is inappropriate for women. Job attractiveness not only needs to be addressed from the employer side but also the social stigma must be tackled by informing the community on the importance of their work. Possible indicators: ● number of female workers employed and receiving full benefit package Providing safe work environment for waste workers Given the health risks associated with working in the waste management sector related to accidents, pollution and hazardous materials, proper health care and a safe workplace are crucial for a decent working environment. This is often not present for women as they mainly work as informal labourers. The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM)20 concludes that workers in the informal sector, including waste pickers are at high risk of chemical exposure because of their working conditions. Chemical exposure to industrial toxins and inhaled particles are the main risks when working in waste management, especially where adequate PPE and information is lacking. The SAICM also stresses the fact knowledge on the gender-specific effects of toxic waste is largely unknown due to limited methods to measure such a widespread phenomenon. Further research on the effects of toxic waste on especially reproductive health of both women and men is needed. Female waste pickers are at a higher risk to exposure of toxic fumes as they separate recyclables to sell at the landfill. The ILO21 also suggests to further investigate gender-specific effects of chemicals as the susceptibility of women who are exposed to hazardous chemicals can vary based on their reproductive cycles and at different life stages such as pregnancy, lactation, and menopause. Pregnant women are in special need of protection. Ocean Conservancy’s study 22 confirms that a special focus on studies which explore the impact on women’s health (focusing on gynaecological conditions stemming from repeated and prolonged exposure to waste) should be conducted and then women educated about such detrimental effects. The ILO stresses the fact that PPE has been traditionally designed for the Western male body and therefore may fit female workers poorly, leading to reduced protection and increased risk of chemical exposure. It is crucial for 20 SAICM, 2018, Management of Chemicals and Waste 21 ILO, 2021, Exposure to hazardous chemicals at work and resulting health impacts: A global review 22 Ocean Conservancy, 2019, The role of gender in waste management. Gender Perspectives on Waste in India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Civitas Company Limited Page 59 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) the waste management sector to provide appropriate sizes of PPE, and in materials suitable for the climate, in order to protect female workers. Promoting an increase in the number of female formal workers in the waste sector, it is also important that the workplace is a safe space for both men and women in terms of sexual abuse. Codes of conduct, Protection against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) and other HR policies on equal opportunities for men and women, equal pay and sexual harassment need to be put in place. Article 82 of the Lao Labour Law states that if there is a case of sexual harassment, “the employer has the right to request cancellation of an employment contract.” However, a code of conduct on this matter would need to be elaborated by the employer and signed by the employees in order to enforce sanctions. Implementing interventions in this regard involving the Lao Women’s Union who is working in advocating for the protection of women’s rights under the law would be beneficial. Gender awareness and sensitization trainings within companies could improve the overall perception of women within the sector. Improvement of workplace safety for women and men is necessary. Supporting public and private waste companies by in providing adequate PPE and safety trainings to their staff as well as in improving security standards and protocols on waste sites and within companies. Models should be explored on how to include informal waste workers into these safety trainings and to access PPE. In addition, trainings on sexual harassment and support to companies in having a adequate and clearly communicated codes of conduct in place would also contribute to making the workplace specifically safe for women. Possible indicators: ● number of public and private waste companies with improved security standards and protocols ● number of formal and informal waste workers reached with adequate PPE and workplace safety trainings Raising awareness on the employability of women among employers Awareness raising on the employability of women in the waste management sector is a crucial factor to guarantee equal access to formal jobs and income. Employers see women as incapable for this type of work and/or that working in the waste management sector is not appropriate for women. This perception leads to their exclusion from formal employment in the waste management sector, even though Article 97 in the Lao Labour Law clearly states that “female employees have the right to employment and professions in every sector”. The collaboration between the Lao German Technical College and Phu Bia Mining provides an example in the Lao context of how provision of attractive jobs, appropriate training and quotas for female enrolment and employment have successfully increased the number of women working in the mining sector. These jobs, that were previously considered only suitable for men, initially as truck drivers but spreading to other technical areas, have now seen an increase in female applicants. The Project has similar opportunity to showcase how the application of international best practice can be transformational for women’s access to formal employment in the waste management sector. Additional gender trainings with staff of Public Administration and public and private waste companies would be important. The Lao Women’s Union could be involved to help clearly communicate the gendered focus of this Project. Possible indicators: ● number of female staff employed in public administration and in public and private waste companies ● number of companies with HR and specific hiring policies that promote gender equality ● number of gender awareness trainings conducted Civitas Company Limited Page 60 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) Restricting access to waste management sites to those under 14 While there may be a general consensus against employment of children in the sector, children still come to pick recyclables either alone or with their caregivers. Risks for children include health risks which are more pronounced for children and young adults if they engage in strenuous work in toxic environments. Other risks relate to future possibilities for other work streams – children who leave school to follow their caregivers’ employment patterns risk limiting their own opportunities for future career development. Restricting the access to waste management sites will illuminate the health risk, however, may put households at risk financially. Supporting continued schooling for those under 14 with a financial benefit for caregivers who can provide documentation to prove school enrolment would encouraging children to stay in school. Possible indicators: ● number of child free waste management sites ● number of caregivers receiving financial benefit for school enrolment Civitas Company Limited Page 61 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com Assessment Report – Gender Assessment EWMP (P175996) Bibliography ADB, 2020, Exploring the Gender Dimensions of Unpaid Care Work in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. ADB and WB, 2012, Country Gender Assessment for Lao PDR-Reducing Vulnerability and Increasing Opportunity. Referenced in Kyoko and Veena 2021.Adebo and Ajewole, 2012, Gender and the Urban Environment: Analysis of Willingness to pay for Waste Management Disposal in Ekiti-State, Nigeria. American International Journal of Contemporary Research. CCAC –Climate and Clean Air Coalition Municipal Solid Waste Initiative, (no date). 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World Bank 2018: https://wits.worldbank.org/CountryProfile/en/Country/LAO/StartYear/2014/EndYear/2018/TradeFlow/Import/I ndicator/MPRT-TRD-VL/Partner/ALL/Product/UNCTAD-SoP3 World Bank 2021: https://data.worldbank.org/country/lao-pdr?view=chart Civitas Company Limited Page 64 180/09 Ban Saphanthong, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Lao PDR Phone: +856 30 9286726 | Email: info@civitas-consulting.com | www.civitas-consulting.com