Download

The Committee for Asian Women (CAW) initiated a research in 2008 on the informal economy focused on domestic workers, waste collectors and agricultural workers. In addition to building public awareness about the situation of informal workers, the research aims to assist in organising and mobilising of informal women workers towards gaining recognition and protection of their rights as workers.

This report focuses on the situation and struggle of wastepickers. Many wastepickers work extremely long hours, exposing to severe UV radiation, carrying heavy objects they collected and walking on their feet. They are facing various health and safety risks such as sharp objects, hazardous chemicals, and contagious medical wastes.

Wastepickers need to be able to augment their capacities and forms of work in a formal and legally protected way. It is essential to create a set of standards for waste handling systems including standards for informal sector inclusion.

Policy-making process that is sympathetic to this objective should be participatory and inclusive – consulting wastepickers and their organisations and involving as many different stakeholders as possible.