Gender in mining governance: 25 policies to address inequality

Monday 8 March is International Women’s Day, and global governments can take action to promote gender equality in the mining sector by following the 25 policy options described in a new report by the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF).

The IGF supports more than 75 member nations committed to leveraging mining for sustainable development to ensure negative impacts are limited and financial benefits are shared. It is devoted to optimising the benefits of mining to achieve poverty reduction, inclusive growth, social development and environmental stewardship.

The report, Gender in Mining Governance: Opportunities for Policy Makers, details seven areas where policy makers can foster gender equality in mining: legislation, stronger institutions, land acquisition, impact assessments, community development and local content, women’s safety and security, and crisis management.

Specific policy options include introducing human rights standards into national laws, using taxes to support women’s programs, strengthening community oversight on mining projects and promoting gender equality in supply chains.

“Mining operations change societies in dynamic and multifaceted ways,” said Ege Tekinbas, IGF Gender Equality Advisor and report co-author. “They can transform people’s livelihoods, ways of life, cultural traits, political systems, community structures and power dynamics.

“Governments need to establish a mining policy framework that empowers and protects women and girls. Good governance can help remedy existing gender inequalities and ensure mining projects don’t exacerbate inequities.”

The policy options included in the report support UN Women’s theme for International Women’s Day, Women in leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID-19 World, as the IGF also supports women and girls around the globe in creating a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report, Gender in Mining Governance: Opportunities for Policy Makers, can be accessed online here.

The IGF also launched Gender in Mining Governance: An Annotated Bibliography for Large-Scale Mining to provide additional resources to policy makers and other stakeholders.

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