A Gendered Analysis of Employment and Skills in the Large-Scale Mining Sector in Zambia

The report finds that women represent only about 10% of the Zambian mining workforce, primarily in support roles. Despite national policies like the Gender Equity and Equality Act of 2015, the sector suffers from a 'gender-blind attitude', persistent sexual harassment, and significant data gaps. The authors recommend standardizing gender-disaggregated data collection, promoting STEM education for girls, and implementing specific retention strategies to address the gender pay gap and structural barriers.

• Women are significantly underrepresented in Zambia's large-scale mining sector, comprising approximately 10% of the workforce, which is lower than the global average of 14%. They are predominantly concentrated in support roles such as administration, human resources, and catering rather than technical positions.
• There is a critical lack of standardized, gender-disaggregated data across the mining industry. National statistics are fragmented, and reporting requirements for mining companies do not stipulate the disaggregation of data by sex, which hinders the ability to monitor progress or inform policy reforms.
• Despite the existence of the National Gender Policy and the Gender Equity and Equality Act of 2015, the mining sector often maintains a 'gender-blind' or 'gender-neutral' approach that fails to address gender-specific impacts or implement transformative change.
• Women in the mining sector face persistent workplace challenges, including gender-based violence, sexual harassment, and biased recruitment practices, particularly regarding women who intend to start a family.
• A significant gender gap exists in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and careers in Zambia. Only 18% of tertiary students pursue STEM disciplines, and women are chronically underrepresented in these fields, which limits their access to high-level technical and management roles in mining.
• Workplace infrastructure in the mining sector is often inadequate for women's needs. Only 12.2% of surveyed women reported access to daycare support facilities, and only 30.5% had access to dedicated toilets and change rooms.
• There is a notable gender pay gap in the broader Zambian workforce, with women earning an average of 28% less than men.

APA

Cooper, T. A., & Goliath, M. L. M. (2023). A Gendered Analysis of Employment and Skills in the Large-Scale Mining Sector in Zambia. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-08/women-mine-of-the-future-zambia.pdf

Chicago

Cooper, T. A., and M. L. M. Goliath. A Gendered Analysis of Employment and Skills in the Large-Scale Mining Sector in Zambia. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-08/women-mine-of-the-future-zambia.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cooper |first1=T. A. |last2=Goliath |first2=M. L. M. |title=A Gendered Analysis of Employment and Skills in the Large-Scale Mining Sector in Zambia |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=April 2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-08/women-mine-of-the-future-zambia.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cooper2023gendered, author = {Cooper, T. A. and Goliath, M. L. M.}, title = {{A Gendered Analysis of Employment and Skills in the Large-Scale Mining Sector in Zambia}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-08/women-mine-of-the-future-zambia.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }