A feminist political ecology of household waste management in an urban township, South Africa

In the Global South, women disproportionately shoulder the burden of household waste management. Development Studies suggest that this persistent feminization of waste-related activities is rooted in cultural, social, and economic factors that confine women to private domestic spaces. Examining these gendered disparities within the intimate sphere of the home highlights issues of patriarchal power and female oppression. However, the intersections of multiple oppressions, particularly those tied to women’s interactions with household waste, remain underexplored. This paper critically investigates the relationship between gender and household waste management in Lamontville Township, South Africa. Drawing on household surveys and in-depth interviews, the study contributes to Feminist Political Ecology (FPE) scholarship, focusing on gendered knowledge and oppression. The intersectional analysis reveals how patriarchal cultural norms, socio-economic status, marital status, and proximity to waste collectively (re)produce gendered power relations and unequal exposure to household waste. FPE thus emerges as a valuable framework for exposing entrenched disparities tied to new forms of discrimination from the (neo)apartheid era, which have constrained women’s autonomy in South Africa’s urban areas. By understanding these intersecting inequalities, this research offers insights for policies aimed at dismantling gendered oppression in household waste management practices.