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This paper describes the lived experiences of health seeking, health care recourse, and well-being of women waste pickers, a highly marginalized sub-population in urban areas in India, highlighting the intersectionality of gender, socioeconomic and cultural contexts, and occupational hazards that they face, as studied by a research team engaged in participatory action research with waste workers in urban India. We note the impact of the superimposition of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the restrictions on movement and access to livelihoods, social support, and health care, and policies made and enforced in a fragmented manner, on the already deprived conditions of the waste pickers. We reflect on the women waste pickers' practices of health seeking, their access to health care, the provisions made for them and made use of by them, and the support they could tap in protecting and restoring their health. A range of these experiences is illustrated through three case studies. Finally, recommendations are made for better provision for women's health and well-being, and improved preparedness for emergency situations.

A PDF version of this book is available for free in open access via www.tandfebooks.com as well as the OAPEN Library platform, www.oapen.org. It has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 3.0 license and is part of the OAPEN-UK research project. By examining how NGOs operate in Southern India in the early 2000’s, this book discusses the challenges faced by small, local NGOs in the uncertain times of changing aid dynamics. The key findings focus on what empowerment means for Indian women, and how NGO accountability to these groups is an important part of the empowerment being realised. The notion of community empowerment, in which the ‘solidarity’ of a group can be a path to individual empowerment, is discussed, as well as analysing how empowerment can be a useful concept in development. Based on case studies of 15 NGOs as well as in-depth interviews with 80 women’s self-help groups, the book highlights the key features of effective empowerment programs. The author uses innovative statistical analysis tools to show how a key factor in empowerment of marginalised women is the accountability relationship between themselves and the supporting NGO. The book goes on to discuss the ways that NGOs can work with communities in the future, and recognises the limitations of a donor-centric accountability framework. It provides a useful contribution to studies on South Asia as well as Gender and Development Studies.

ObjectiveTo investigate gender differences in health in informal waste pickers affected by poverty and multiple environmental and work hazards.MethodsA cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at two major landfill sites in a large city. Information on health, work hazards and health care access as well as blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol and BMI were measured.ResultsA total of 361 waste pickers participated in the survey. The women interviewed earned on average 22% less per month than the men waste pickers. The women presented with worse chronic health outcomes (OR 2.69 95% CI 1.51–4.78) and signs of chronic disease (OR 1.73 95% CI 1.02–2.96) compared to men despite showing greater health-seeking behaviours.ConclusionWomen waste pickers suffer worse health outcomes, such as lifestyle diseases and HIV. Further research is needed to identify the factors involved. Responsive programs supporting health care, improved working conditions and income for waste pickers may also improve their health.

The climate change risk of open waste emitting methane is high, and open waste also spreads diseases and odors, leading to health risks. In developing countries, mountains of municipal solid waste lie open, spreading diseases, creating pollution, and increasing climate change risk. Local governments struggle to collect, process, and dispose of this waste. Waste pickers, mostly women, perform this essential service for the local governments. They collect and segregate waste at minimal cost but live in abject poverty, without dignity. Their service in separating and recycling this waste creates a \"circular flow\" of the economy, a \"cradle-to-cradle\" model as mandated by the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals, to be achieved by 2030. Presented here is an organization development case study that identifies the path and vital factors for social innovation by a non-governmental organization NGO which has reduced the health and climate change risk by organizing the waste pickers and ushering in women empowerment, behavioral change, social inclusion, and social innovation. Professionals and academicians can formalize the model presented for further evolution in organization development and practice in this nascent sector.

Abstract Despite the advances in the implementation of the National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS), waste pickers’ organizations (WPOs) continue to face structural problems that challenge their viability. Facing the challenges, cooperative networks (CNs) emerged as an alternative to expand their role in the recycling chain. This research aims to identify the challenges and perspectives of the actions of waste pickers’ networks in the recycling chain and discuss how this new organizational arrangement can contribute to the expected advances of the PNRS. The methodological procedures included the selection of 3 case studies on CNs, interviews, documental and content analysis. The results show the importance of public policies and the breadth of the partnerships to the consolidation of the CNs analyzed. Thus, an adaptation of the PNRS to the new dynamics of the recycling market, considering the multiple benefits of CN, can contribute to overcome the structural problems faced by WPOs. Resumen A pesar de los avances en la implementación de la Política Nacional de Residuos Sólidos (PNRS), las organizaciones de recicladores (OC) siguen enfrentando problemas estructurales que desafían su viabilidad. Ante los desafíos, las redes de cooperativas (RC) surgen como una alternativa para ampliar su espacio en la cadena de reciclaje. El objetivo de esa investigación es identificar los desafíos y perspectivas de la actuación de las RC en la cadena de reciclaje y discutir cómo esta nueva configuración organizacional puede contribuir a los avances esperados de la PNRS. Los procedimientos metodológicos incluyeron la selección de 3 estudios de caso de RC, entrevistas, análisis documental y de contenido. Los resultados muestran la importancia de las políticas y la amplitud de las alianzas en la consolidación de la RC. Así, una actualización de la PNRS a la nueva dinámica del mercado del reciclaje, considerando los múltiples beneficios de la RC, puede contribuir para la superación de los problemas estructurales enfrentados por las OC. Resumo Apesar dos avanços na implementação da Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos (PNRS), as organizações de catadores (OC) continuam a enfrentar problemas estruturais que desafiam sua viabilidade. Frente aos desafios, as redes de cooperativas (RC) emergem como alternativa para ampliar seu espaço na cadeia de reciclagem. O objetivo desta pesquisa é identificar os desafios e perspectivas da atuação das redes de catadores na cadeia de reciclagem e discutir como este novo arranjo organizacional pode contribuir para os avanços esperados da PNRS. Os procedimentos metodológicos incluíram a seleção de 3 estudos de caso de RC, entrevistas, análise documental e de conteúdo. Os resultados mostram a importância das políticas públicas e da amplitude das parcerias na consolidação das RC analisadas. Assim, uma atualização da PNRS à nova dinâmica do mercado de reciclagem, considerando os múltiplos benefícios das RC, pode contribuir para superação dos desafios estruturais enfrentados pelas OC.

Organised waste pickers in Colombia are formally recognised as subjects of special protection and as providers of the public service of recycling. As a consequence, they now receive remuneration for their work, but this was not always the case. This article highlights the strategies waste pickers used to successfully demand their rights while exploring the tensions and contradictions surrounding the formalisation of waste pickers as public service providers of recycling. These include a lack of sufficient guarantees from the government, attempts by private companies to appropriate waste pickers’ benefits, and a lack of respect by both the state and private businesses for the recognition of their rights in law. It concludes that there is an inherent tension between the main objectives of the waste pickers—to improve their working conditions and overcome poverty and vulnerability—and that of the state, which promotes free market competition in the provision of public services.

Cotton picking is an exclusive work that is performed only by women in Pakistan. They are directly exposed to pesticide as cotton picking is usually done without protective measures which cause destructive effects on their health. Better cotton standard system involves trainings of cotton pickers to use precautionary measures and avoid pesticide exposure. The current study has been conducted to explore the health cost of women cotton pickers in conventional versus better cotton in Punjab, Pakistan. Primary data were collected from 600 cotton pickers through an organized questionnaire from three districts (Layyah, Toba Tek Singh, and Bahawalnagar). Ordinary least square method was used to find the pesticide exposure and socioeconomic factors affecting the health cost of women cotton pickers. The study shows that total cost per person, cost of medication, productivity loss, cost of accompanied person, and dietary expenses in better cotton are significantly less than those in the conventional cotton. Cost of precautionary measures in better cotton is significantly higher than conventional cotton as better cotton pickers are trained to use precautionary measures. Moreover, education, distance from hospital, and precautionary measures affect health cost significantly. Results suggest that education should be improved in rural areas. Better cotton standard system should be promoted in Pakistan through education and other training programs. Women cotton pickers should be encouraged to use protective measures.

The main assumption of the study is that management of municipal solid waste is a major decision-making issue with respect to sustainable development in developing world communities. Thus, the paper provides an overview on the institutional contributions towards a better municipal waste management, targeting two regions - Latin America and Central and Eastern Europe. The first objective is to advance an understanding of the importance of institutions in propelling workers from the informal sector into legitimate and socially-accepted positions in the developing world. The second objective is to reveal, from a judicial perspective, how waste is managed in different CEECs, by using two procedural instruments. We conclude with a discussion of the controversial role of waste projects in relation to their environmental benefits, arguing also for its contribution to the understanding of the dynamics of the waste environmental law application and control in CEECs.

The presence of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among vulnerable populations is a rarely discussed subject. Thus, the present cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to analyse the health conditions and access to public health services of 268 waste pickers in southern Brazil. Regarding NCDs, their prevalence of hypertension was 32.8 %, diabetes 11.4 %, dyslipidemia 16.4 %, overweight 51.1 %, obesity 25.7 % and abdominal obesity 57.8 %. Regarding access to health services, 36.9 % of the sample had not consulted with a doctor in more than 1 year, 15.7 % had no access to a healthcare unit, 7.5 % had never measured their blood pressure, 45.9 % had never had a glucose test, and 61.2 % had never had a triglyceride test. The statistical analysis showed that whereas men had gone longer since their last medical consultation and blood pressure measurement, women had increased frequencies of overweight, abdominal obesity, awareness of their hypertension and use of antihypertensive drugs (p < 0.05). Therefore, the health profile of waste pickers is critical, with a high prevalence of NCDs and poor healthcare usage. Strategies to improve monitoring and treatment are recommended.