Responsible Sourcing, Inclusive Impact: Cross-sector solutions for gender-responsive due diligence

The report details a session hosted by the Women’s Rights and Mining (WRM) network and the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) on May 5, 2025. The discussion centered on transitioning gender-responsive due diligence (GRDD) from a risk-identification tool to a mechanism for structural empowerment, particularly for women in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). Key contributions included Mercedes-Benz's use of gender-disaggregated data, Italpreziosi's 'Empower Your Counterpart' model and 'Empower ASM' app, and ActionAid Zambia's emphasis on grassroots engagement to address local cultural barriers and gender-based violence.

• Gender-responsive due diligence (GRDD) must evolve from a punitive, compliance-based approach to a proactive tool for empowerment that addresses structural inequalities and enables women in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) to participate in formal supply chains.
• There is a significant gap between corporate commitments to gender and actual implementation; while 94% of companies set gender or human rights expectations for suppliers, fewer than one-third provide concrete support to meet them, and less than 1% track the resolution of gender-based violence and harassment cases.
• Mercedes-Benz has taken a leadership role in the automotive sector by being the first to request gender-disaggregated data from its suppliers to identify gaps and is using digital e-learning modules to scale GRDD training across its global network.
• Italpreziosi has implemented the 'Empower Your Counterpart' (EYC) strategy, which treats suppliers as partners rather than risk points, and is developing the 'Empower ASM' app to help ASM miners—particularly women—track practices and align with formal market requirements.
• Effective GRDD requires deep grassroots engagement to avoid excluding women and to address specific local cultural barriers, such as myths that exclude menstruating women from mine sites; in Zambia's ASM sector, only 17% of site owners are female compared to 83% who are male.
• Cross-sectoral learning from the garment and agriculture industries can provide the mineral sector with operational models for gender due diligence, such as integrating gender clauses into contracts and establishing worker-led monitoring committees.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2025). Responsible Sourcing, Inclusive Impact: Cross-sector solutions for gender-responsive due diligence. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-07/responsible-sourcing-inclusive-impact.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Responsible Sourcing, Inclusive Impact: Cross-sector solutions for gender-responsive due diligence. 2025. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-07/responsible-sourcing-inclusive-impact.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Responsible Sourcing, Inclusive Impact: Cross-sector solutions for gender-responsive due diligence |date=July 2025 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-07/responsible-sourcing-inclusive-impact.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2025responsible, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Responsible Sourcing, Inclusive Impact: Cross-sector solutions for gender-responsive due diligence}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2025}, month = jul, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-07/responsible-sourcing-inclusive-impact.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }