Gender-Responsive Mining Policies

The report examines four case studies to illustrate strategies for integrating gender perspectives into mining operations. In the DRC, Kamoa Copper SA uses a tiered educational and training pipeline to increase female employment. In South Africa, Ivanplats leverages intersectional legislative frameworks to foster partnerships between national contractors and Black women-owned businesses. In Mauritania, Kinross Gold Corporation supports a women's sewing cooperative to diversify local income. In Chile, SQM co-established the Atacameña Women’s Alliance (AMA) to provide health and financial support through a participatory governance model. The document argues that combining direct employment, inclusive procurement, and community-led benefit agreements can transform mining's social impact and enhance the economic empowerment of marginalized women.

• Kamoa Copper SA in the DRC has implemented a multi-layered approach to build a local employment pipeline, resulting in over 50% of permanent positions secured through its Cadetship Program being held by women as of 2023.
• To address gender disparities in education in the DRC, Kamoa allocated 51% of its secondary school bursaries to girls in 2023.
• In South Africa, Ivanplats has established 11 partnerships over 1.5 years that created 24 permanent jobs, with women holding direct shares in 18 of those businesses.
• Ivanplats spent over USD 24.5 million on local, women-owned enterprises between January and August 2024, supporting 108 active registered suppliers.
• The Tasiast Women’s Cooperative in Mauritania, established by Kinross Gold Corporation in 2013, has trained 40 local women in sewing and business management, allowing them to serve both the mine and external markets in Nouadhibou.
• The Atacameña Women’s Alliance (AMA) in Chile uses a participatory governance model where Lickanantay women co-lead the program and supervise the allocation of a budget that totaled USD 3,240,000 in 2023.
• The AMA program in Chile provided medical campaigns benefiting 3,160 women and direct financial support to 1,748 women in 2023, with an average fund amount of USD 1,485.
• The report highlights that women in rural mining communities often face disproportionate burdens, such as the loss of land-based livelihoods, and may not benefit from compensation due to a lack of land tenure.

APA

Pullinger, L., Tekinbas, E., & Cornaro, E. (2025). Gender-Responsive Mining Policies. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-01/gender-responsive-mining-policies.pdf

Chicago

Pullinger, Lisl, Ege Tekinbas, and Elena Cornaro. Gender-Responsive Mining Policies. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2025. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-01/gender-responsive-mining-policies.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Pullinger |first1=Lisl |last2=Tekinbas |first2=Ege |last3=Cornaro |first3=Elena |title=Gender-Responsive Mining Policies |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=January 2025 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-01/gender-responsive-mining-policies.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pullinger2025genderresponsive, author = {Pullinger, Lisl and Tekinbas, Ege and Cornaro, Elena}, title = {{Gender-Responsive Mining Policies}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-01/gender-responsive-mining-policies.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }