This first-of-its-kind global gender analysis examines the status of women working in recycling and waste management in both the formal and informal sectors. It was commissioned by USAID to inform the Agency’s portfolio of ocean plastics pollution mitigation programs, setting women’s economic empowerment as a priority. The report offers detailed recommendations for donors, the private sector, non-profits and policy-makers on strategies for supporting women’s entrepreneurship, leadership, innovation, and equitable participation at all levels of the sector. Findings and recommendations were presented at the United Nations World Urban Forum, ISWA World Congress, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and internal USAID training on gender and ocean plastic pollution.