The Criticality of Gender Equality in the Race for Critical Minerals

This executive summary describes the risks that the accelerating demand for critical minerals poses to gender equality and women's rights, particularly for Indigenous and rural women. It outlines the drivers of these risks and provides three primary recommendations for governments and mining companies to mitigate impacts and promote gender equality in the energy transition.

• The global energy transition and digitalization are driving a surge in demand for critical minerals, with the International Energy Agency projecting that by 2040, demand for lithium could increase 5-fold, while demand for graphite and nickel could double, and cobalt and copper could rise by 50% and 30% respectively.
• The expansion of critical mineral mining may exacerbate risks to gender-specific rights, including health, food security, livelihoods, and access to land, as well as unpaid care responsibilities. These risks are particularly acute for rural and Indigenous women and are driven by three factors: the specific environmental impacts of critical mineral extraction, the location of projects on or near agricultural or Indigenous lands, and the potential for accelerated permitting processes.
• The report recommends that governments and industry actors assess and manage gendered impacts by applying intersectional gender analysis in impact assessments, collecting gender-disaggregated data, and creating costed, time-bound Gender Action Plans.
• To ensure inclusive consultation and consent, the report suggests fostering the safe engagement of women throughout the project life cycle, utilizing community-led approaches such as women-led monitoring, and adopting free, prior, and informed consent as the best-practice standard, especially regarding customary and Indigenous land rights.
• The report advocates for gender-responsive benefit-sharing mechanisms, which include removing employment barriers through gender audits and quotas, ensuring equitable land compensation and recognition of women's land tenure, and implementing community development programs like micro-grants and skills development to strengthen women's economic agency.

APA

Ezpeleta, M., & Tekinbas, E. (2026). The Criticality of Gender Equality in the Race for Critical Minerals. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-07/gender-equality-in-race-for-critical-minerals-summary.pdf

Chicago

Ezpeleta, Maria, and Ege Tekinbas. The Criticality of Gender Equality in the Race for Critical Minerals. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2026. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-07/gender-equality-in-race-for-critical-minerals-summary.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ezpeleta |first1=Maria |last2=Tekinbas |first2=Ege |title=The Criticality of Gender Equality in the Race for Critical Minerals |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=May 2026 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-07/gender-equality-in-race-for-critical-minerals-summary.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ezpeleta2026criticality, author = {Ezpeleta, Maria and Tekinbas, 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/system/files/2026-07/gender-equality-in-race-for-critical-minerals-summary.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }