GENDER IN MINING GOVERNANCE: OPPORTUNITIES FOR POLICY-MAKERS

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides a comprehensive set of 25 policy recommendations for governments to promote gender equality and protect women's rights within the mining sector. It emphasizes the need to move beyond voluntary corporate social responsibility toward legislative frameworks that integrate human rights standards, gender-disaggregated data collection, and targeted investments in women's safety and economic empowerment.

• Mining laws and regulations frequently fail to mainstream gender equality or recognize women as active participants, leading to a lack of measures to promote women in the formal workforce and a failure to address health hazards and gender-based violence (GBV) for those in the informal sector.
• Governments are encouraged to adopt human rights-based and gender-responsive regulatory frameworks. This includes incorporating international standards such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and conducting gender analyses to map discrimination patterns and barriers to workforce participation.
• To ensure informed decision-making, governments should mandate the collection and analysis of gender-disaggregated data at both corporate and community levels. This includes tracking the number of women in technical, senior, and decision-making positions, as well as their participation in community consultation and benefit programs.
• Land acquisition processes often marginalize women, particularly widows and divorcees, because compensation is typically granted to male heads of households. The document advises establishing standards for equal compensation, requiring consultations with women on land sales, and protecting collective rights to safeguard women's interests in community-owned resources.
• Impact assessments should be integrated with a gender lens to prevent mining operations from exacerbating inequality. This includes promoting standalone Gender Impact Assessments (GIAs) or integrating gender into Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs), with a specific focus on intersectional groups such as Indigenous women and women with disabilities.
• Governments can use economic tools, such as tax incentives, to encourage mining companies to implement gender-responsive programs. Examples include supporting women-owned businesses in supply chains, providing technical training, and funding workplace facilities like daycare and nursing rooms.
• To improve women's safety and security, governments should require mining companies to include gender-based violence (GBV) in their grievance mechanisms and develop response plans in coordination with state institutions. Additionally, governments should fund GBV service providers, such as shelters and counseling, in host communities.
• Crisis and disaster responses in the mining sector must be gender-responsive, as natural disasters and pandemics (such as COVID-19) affect women more severely. Gender-neutral responses often result in women bearing the brunt of the impact.

APA

Tekinbas, E., & Deonandan, K. (2021). GENDER IN MINING GOVERNANCE: OPPORTUNITIES FOR POLICY-MAKERS. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-03/gender-mining-governance.pdf

Chicago

Tekinbas, Ege, and Kalowatie Deonandan. GENDER IN MINING GOVERNANCE: OPPORTUNITIES FOR POLICY-MAKERS. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-03/gender-mining-governance.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tekinbas |first1=Ege |last2=Deonandan |first2=Kalowatie |title=GENDER IN MINING GOVERNANCE: OPPORTUNITIES FOR POLICY-MAKERS |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=March 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-03/gender-mining-governance.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tekinbas2021gender, author = {Tekinbas, Ege and Deonandan, Kalowatie}, title = {{GENDER IN MINING GOVERNANCE: OPPORTUNITIES FOR POLICY-MAKERS}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-03/gender-mining-governance.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }