The Criticality of Gender Equality in the Race for Critical Minerals

The report analyzes the risks that critical mineral extraction poses to women, particularly Indigenous and rural women, and provides policy recommendations for governments and companies to ensure gender-equitable benefit-sharing and inclusive consultation.

• The increased demand for minerals such as cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium, and nickel may worsen existing gender inequalities in the mining sector if governments and companies do not implement deliberate gender-responsive safeguards.
• Mining expansion poses specific risks to the rights of Indigenous and rural women, affecting their health, food security, land, livelihoods, and unpaid care work, often exacerbated by accelerated permitting processes and environmental impacts.
• To make critical minerals governance gender-responsive, the report recommends using intersectional gender analysis, collecting gender-disaggregated data, ensuring free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), and creating benefit-sharing mechanisms for jobs and compensation.

APA

Tekinbas,, M. E. (2026). The Criticality of Gender Equality in the Race for Critical Minerals. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/gender-equality-in-race-critical-minerals

Chicago

Tekinbas,, Maria Ezpeleta,Ege. The Criticality of Gender Equality in the Race for Critical Minerals. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2026. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/gender-equality-in-race-critical-minerals.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tekinbas, |first1=Maria Ezpeleta,Ege |title=The Criticality of Gender Equality in the Race for Critical Minerals |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=13 May 2026 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/gender-equality-in-race-critical-minerals |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tekinbas2026criticality, author = {Tekinbas,, Maria Ezpeleta,Ege}, title = {{The Criticality of Gender Equality in the Race for Critical Minerals}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/gender-equality-in-race-critical-minerals}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }