Women in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining: Interventions for greater participation

This case study, prepared by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) for the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development (IGF), synthesizes interviews with 20 stakeholders to identify practical interventions for increasing women's participation in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). It advocates for a holistic approach combining economic, social, technical, and political empowerment to overcome systemic barriers.

• Interviewees identified education and awareness as the most critical starting point for empowerment, specifically through literacy campaigns and the use of 'champion women' as role models to challenge traditional norms and build self-belief among women in mining communities.
• Capacity building must address three primary skill gaps: leadership training to improve the governance of women's groups, technical training in geological data and processing techniques to reduce dependency on men, and business management skills including accounting and bookkeeping to ensure sustainability.
• Women in ASM require targeted business support, including access to capital through microfinance or SME-focused programs, the removal of requirements for male signatures on loans, and the establishment of institutional buying arrangements to prevent exploitation by buyers.
• The report emphasizes the need for gender-specific health and safety interventions, such as providing safety gear, childcare facilities to keep children away from contaminated water, and the development of affordable, gender-appropriate mining equipment.
• To empower women collectively, the study suggests strengthening women's associations and cooperatives, provided they have ethical governance frameworks and legal recognition to access markets and financial resources.
• Legislative and policy reforms are urgently needed, including the mandatory integration of gender-impact assessments into environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and the adoption of a human rights approach to address gender-based violence and discrimination.

APA

Weldegiorgis, F. (2018). Women in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining: Interventions for greater participation. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/igf-women-asm-interventions-participation-case-study.pdf

Chicago

Weldegiorgis, Fitsum. Women in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining: Interventions for greater participation. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2018. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/igf-women-asm-interventions-participation-case-study.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Weldegiorgis |first1=Fitsum |title=Women in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining: Interventions for greater participation |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=September 2018 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/igf-women-asm-interventions-participation-case-study.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{weldegiorgis2018women, author = {Weldegiorgis, Fitsum}, title = {{Women in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining: Interventions for greater participation}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2018}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/igf-women-asm-interventions-participation-case-study.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }