Gender in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Training Workshop for Nigeria

The report details a training workshop held in Abuja, Nigeria, from April 22–26, 2024, aimed at enhancing gender inclusivity within the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector. Based on a needs assessment and participant exercises, the workshop identified systemic barriers to women's participation, such as cultural practices and gender-blind programming, and proposed a gender-responsive formalization strategy. Key recommendations include revising mining laws, establishing microgrant schemes, and creating multistakeholder bodies to monitor gender-responsive policies.

• Participants identified several systemic barriers preventing women from participating equally in Nigeria's ASM sector, including cultural, religious, and traditional practices, gender-based violence (GBV), and a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE). Other obstacles include low education levels, limited access to finance and technical skills, and burdensome reproductive duties.
• The ASM sector in Nigeria faces significant structural challenges, such as outdated laws that restrict women from mining, punitive government regulations, and a lack of specific mining regulations or a strategic approach to ASM management.
• Occupational health and safety (OHS) issues are gendered in the ASM sector, characterized by exposure to hazards like mercury, a lack of sanitation facilities, and limited government capacity to monitor OHS impacts or investigate incidents.
• Participants proposed a gender-responsive ASM formalization strategy with objectives to promote women's participation in lucrative operations, amplify their voice in decision-making, and eliminate child labour by empowering women as agents of change.
• To implement the formalization strategy, participants suggested specific activities including the establishment of a multistakeholder body with fair representation of women, the revision of mining laws and regulations from a gender-equality perspective, and the creation of microgrant schemes and low-interest loan programs.
• Proposed measures to improve safety and social welfare for women in ASM include developing specific legislation for GBV prevention, establishing pilot schemes for childcare in collaboration with governments and large-scale mining companies, and introducing gender bonds to finance gender-responsive initiatives.

APA

Tekinbas, E., Mutemeri, N., & Halim, T. (2024). Gender in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Training Workshop for Nigeria. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-06/igf-gender-artisanal-small-scale-mining-training.pdf

Chicago

Tekinbas, Ege, Nellia Mutemeri, and Thelma Halim. Gender in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Training Workshop for Nigeria. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2024. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-06/igf-gender-artisanal-small-scale-mining-training.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tekinbas |first1=Ege |last2=Mutemeri |first2=Nellia |last3=Halim |first3=Thelma |title=Gender in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Training Workshop for Nigeria |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=June 2024 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-06/igf-gender-artisanal-small-scale-mining-training.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tekinbas2024gender, author = {Tekinbas, Ege and Mutemeri, Nellia and Halim, Thelma}, title = {{Gender in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Training Workshop for Nigeria}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2024}, month = jun, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-06/igf-gender-artisanal-small-scale-mining-training.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }