Exploring Gender Involvement in Solid Waste Management in Ibadan, Nigeria: Roles, Challenges, and Opportunities for Sustainable Development

Abstract

Solid waste management practice in Ibadan has been largely focused on the technical issues of waste disposal with little or no attention paid to the gender involved. This study examines gender involvement in solid waste management in Oluyole local government, Ibadan, Nigeria. Gender activities play an important role in solid waste management as there is clear understanding of the perceptions of both men and women that is required in waste management. Data analysis was based on 374 households/shop owners and 2 waste management companies by survey questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS. Results showed that waste management practices are influenced by the demographic factors such as income level. The result also shows that both gender handles solid waste effectively but the women participation are found to be higher than that of men in some areas of waste management practices. The study concludes that proper integration of both men and women into the existing solid waste management can lead to sustainable management practices and possibly alleviate poverty. Based on this research results, recommendations are made to improve gender involvement in solid waste management for sustainable development in Ibadan, Nigeria.