Toolkit for Facilitators – Second Edition

A practical, gender-responsive toolkit supporting facilitators to strengthen awareness, safety, and leadership among women working in the informal recycling sector.

Overview

Women working in the informal recycling sector play a critical role in waste management and circular economies across the world. Yet they often face unsafe working conditions, limited access to information and decision-making, and systemic social and economic inequalities.

This second edition of the Awareness and Capacity-Building for Women in the Informal Recycling Sector: Toolkit for Facilitators builds on the original 2024 publication, offering updated guidance, participatory learning approaches, and practical training materials to support facilitators working directly with women waste workers and their communities.

The toolkit is designed to help organisations, local authorities, civil society groups, and community leaders strengthen knowledge, promote safer practices, and support more inclusive and equitable waste management systems. It combines practical exercises with accessible information on occupational health and safety, environmental awareness, gender equality, and leadership development.

Grounded in co-creation and capacity-building, the publication reflects GRID-Arendal’s commitment to transforming science and knowledge into practical action that supports both people and the environment.

What You’ll Find

• Facilitator guidance for community-based workshops and training sessions
• Participatory exercises tailored to women in the informal recycling sector
• Practical tools for awareness-raising on health, safety, waste management, and environmental risks
• Approaches for strengthening leadership, confidence, and collective action
• Gender-responsive methodologies and inclusive facilitation techniques
• Updated case studies, examples, and lessons learned from implementation experiences
• Adaptable materials suitable for different local and cultural contexts

Why It Matters

Informal waste workers are essential contributors to resource recovery and environmental sustainability, yet their contributions often remain undervalued and unsupported. Women in the sector face intersecting challenges linked to gender inequality, economic vulnerability, and exposure to environmental and health risks.

This toolkit supports more inclusive and resilient waste management systems by strengthening awareness, practical skills, and participation among women recyclers and the organisations that work alongside them. By building local capacity and supporting equitable participation, the publication contributes to healthier communities, improved livelihoods, and more sustainable circular economy practices.

The second edition aligns closely with GRID-Arendal’s strategic focus on transformative responses to environmental change, knowledge-based decision-making, and resilience through co-created, people-centred approaches.

Skills: Field Research Gender Perspectives Gender and Environment Gender and Waste Management Capacity Building Capacity building & multi-stakeholder engagement Co-creative facilitation Policy Analysis Storytelling

Tags: gender equality informal recycling circular economy waste management plastic pollution Occupational health and safety Capacity-building Environmental Governance