The Criticality of Gender Equality in the Race for Critical Minerals

The report warns that the surge in demand for critical minerals—such as lithium, cobalt, and copper—to support the energy transition and digital economy may exacerbate gender inequalities and human rights challenges. It identifies three key risk drivers: specific environmental impacts of critical mineral processing, the location of projects on Indigenous or agricultural lands, and the use of accelerated permitting. To mitigate these, the report recommends implementing intersectional gender analyses, ensuring inclusive consultation and consent, and establishing gender-responsive benefit-sharing mechanisms.

• The global energy transition and digitalization are driving a surge in demand for critical minerals. The International Energy Agency projects 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 threatens gender-specific rights, including women's health, food security, livelihoods, and access to land, with compounding risks for rural and Indigenous women.
• Three primary factors increase the risks to women's rights during the critical minerals boom: the specific environmental impacts of extraction and processing, the proximity of projects to agricultural or Indigenous lands, and the potential for accelerated permitting to meet demand.
• The report proposes three main mitigation strategies: conducting intersectional gender analyses and creating costed Gender Action Plans; ensuring inclusive consultation and treating free, prior, and informed consent as the best-practice standard; and implementing gender-responsive benefit-sharing, such as closing gender pay gaps and recognizing women's land tenure rights.

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} }