This Women’s Month, we’re spotlighting the women leading Africa’s transition to a circular economy. Sonia Orwa, Co-Founder and CEO of Mr. Green Trading Africa, is one of them.
From tackling stigma in waste work to building systems that empower women at every level, Sonia is proving that Africa’s circular future must be intentional, collaborative, and inclusive. In her journey, women’s participation in waste collection grew from 5% to 35% in just five years — a testament to what’s possible when barriers are dismantled and opportunities are created. We spoke with her about the challenges, partnerships, and the vision for women in waste across the continent.
Q: What are the unique opportunities and barriers facing women in waste in Africa?
A: The Waste management space in Africa is plagued by stigma. From waste collection being considered a “dirty job” to it being predominantly male-dominated, women in the space have faced several challenges. If we look at Waste Collection alone, women face the following challenges: Lack of Security, uneven access to the ‘profitable’ classes of waste, and at dumpsites, they also face sexual harassment. These barriers have often led women to be in the periphery of the waste management value chain, yet with women being 50% of the African population, there is no way that we can have success without including women!
If you look at the manufacturing side, it is difficult to find women machine operators. This goes back to education and how TVET institutions both market and recruit for talent.
However, the tides are changing. With more women leading companies, we are starting to see a shift and focus in having more women active in the space, and this has been through intentionality. In my journey, I have watched women’s activity in waste collection increase from 5% to 35% within 5 years due to targeted initiatives to include women through collective bargaining initiatives, through offering safe spaces to work, as well as training on how to succeed in the space. When I first became a leader in the space, it was my dream to see women operating machines in the factory, and one of my greatest achievements is to have more women operating forklifts than we have men. To some, this may be a small feat, but to me, this represents the future, a future we must be intentional in designing.
There is a lot more opportunity, but first, we must value waste management for what it is and change the perception of waste. This is not a dirty job; it is essential, and both men and women can succeed and earn a substantial living through waste management.
Q: In your experience, what partnerships have been most effective in advancing gender equity in recycling?
A: As the African proverb goes “if you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far, go together!” That is the best strategy to have lasting impact and gender equity in any sector. Specifically to the recycling sector, it is critical to have partnerships and Technical assistance programs with organisations that are experts in gender issues. In my journey, I mentioned that we have seen a 25% increase in women participation, and this was primarily due to having an impact driven company from investors, to leaders and the partnerships we have had with Gender experts, such as Value4Women and the Responsible Sourcing Initiative (RSI). Also being part of the Bcorp Community and the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) has been integral in developing our theory of change and measuring the effectiveness of our initiatives. . These partnerships have helped us understand the issues that were leading to lower women participation rates, and helped us design initiatives to eradicate these barriers. And even though 35% is still not good enough, it is significant progress that we wouldn’t have made without the support of organisations such as these.
Q: How does Mr. Green ensure women are included and empowered in its value chain?
A: I cannot answer this question without first clarifying the name Mr. Green. Whenever, I get up to speak, I know the question is coming, “so are you Mrs. Green?” 🙂 Which always leaves the room wondering how you can talk about Gender equity with a name that seems to represent one particular gender. While our name might not immediately suggest a focus on gender equity, a closer look at what we stand for – and our actions – tells a different story. The name Mr. Green doesn’t represent a man or woman. It represents the everyday hero – the hero who wakes up every morning to save the environment, through picking the waste, recycling it, and giving it a new life. So I am Mr. Green and anyone and everyone can be MR. GREEN.
At Mr. Green,Gender equity is not only a key pillar of our identity but also a core part of our business mandate. We are intentional about ensuring women’s inclusion and empowerment throughout our value chain. This commitment is reflected in how we position our brand, set our strategic goals and performance targets, and engage with communities.
We implement targeted initiatives such as partnering with women’s groups, tailoring our loyalty programs to include items specifically designed for women (which has significantly increased women engagement), and maintaining a 50:50 gender balance at both leadership and board levels.
We also prioritise creating a supportive work environment for women – favourable working conditions, and ongoing dialogue around gender issues across our operations.
This deliberate and consistent focus on inclusion is what makes Mr. Green a truly empowering place for women to thrive.
Q: How does regional collaboration strengthen women-led waste initiatives?
A: There is incredible opportunity for learning when you collaborate across geographies and industries. No matter the business there will always be one thing they all have in common- PEOPLE. So learning how company B managed to have more women representation whether through targeted marketing, specific hiring practices or benefits, this knowledge sharing can help us all grow leaps and bounds. We are a lot stronger when we work together, and as we continue to see more and more women leading waste initiatives, we continue to inspire other women to do the same. As they say when you don’t have a seat at the table, create your own, and we are seeing so many recycling companies in Kenya, and across Africa, being founded and led by women! It is amazing to see.
Q: What role can SA and Kenya play together in building a continental circular economy with women at the centre?
A: The recycling sector in SA, from a capacity, technology and regulation stand point is top in Africa. So there is obviously so much more we can learn and collaborate on in continuing to strengthen the entire waste ecosystem, let alone having more women running the show. For example, in Cape Town, there is the All Women Recycling (AWR) group that represents so many models I see in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. What could we do if we united all these groups and created a larger body of All Women Recycling Africa! It would be incredible. I always believe the circular economy has always existed in Africa, even before the terminology was created.
Our Grandma’s in the village would reuse everything: From the maize cob turning into a washing apparatus, to the containers being used to store all types of items. So it is a no-brainer that women, specifically African Women, have the DNA, and the potential to transform waste management into a force ‘for’ Nature. What we need is more women, like us, collaborating and building together across borders, different cultures but with the same vision. A cleaner, safer environment where both men and women thrive!
