Skills Building for Women in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining

The document examines three case studies to demonstrate the impact of capacity building for women in the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector. In Mongolia, the Sustainable Artisanal Mining (SAM) project combined government support with leadership and managerial training to help women formalize illegal operations and improve environmental rehabilitation. In Zambia, the Extractives Industry Transparency Alliance (EITA) utilized local civil society organizations to provide business and governance training to women in the extraction of development minerals. In Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Accountability and Artisanal Mining Program (ZAAMP) focused on strengthening the internal management and governance systems of miners' associations. The report concludes that for empowerment initiatives to be sustainable, they must involve governments as active partners, leverage local civil society organizations to ensure local ownership, and focus on leadership training to create a multiplier effect through associations.

• In Mongolia, the Sustainable Artisanal Mining (SAM) project helped formalize illegal 'Ninja' miners by providing training in ASM organization, legal frameworks, occupational health and safety, and business development. Leadership and managerial skills training specifically enabled women to lead organizations that contributed to government revenues and environmental rehabilitation, such as the 'Gazar Shoroo – Ard Tumnii Bayalag' organization, which paid over MNT 24 million (USD 12,000) in income taxes and rehabilitated nearly 22 hectares of land.
• The Zambian experience with the Extractives Industry Transparency Alliance (EITA) highlights the role of local civil society organizations (CSOs) in tailoring training to local realities. EITA provided business and entrepreneurship training to women in the Mansa District and trained 70 households in Kalumbila (50% female-headed) in the mining of development minerals, including clay mining, brick making, quarrying, and sand mining.
• In Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Accountability and Artisanal Mining Program (ZAAMP) addressed the lack of resources and leadership capacities in miners' associations. The program implemented Institutional Strengthening Plans (ISP) for four associations, including the Mthandazo Women in Mining Association, focusing on financial management, corporate governance, and resource mobilization to improve operational standards.
• Sustainable empowerment of women in ASM requires a shift in government roles from purely reactionary enforcement to acting as 'duty bearers' and enablers. The Mongolian case shows that when governments provide an enabling legal framework and services, miners are recast as 'rights holders' who are more willing to engage and organize.
• Donor-driven initiatives often face challenges such as being 'one-off' or short-term. To ensure sustainability, the document recommends a clear transfer of expertise to women and local government personnel as part of exit strategies, and the development of learning manuals and communication materials to supplement capacity building.

APA

Weldegiorgis, F. (2019). Skills Building for Women in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/igf-case-study-women-asm.pdf

Chicago

Weldegiorgis, Fitsum. Skills Building for Women in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2019. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/igf-case-study-women-asm.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Weldegiorgis |first1=Fitsum |title=Skills Building for Women in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2019 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/igf-case-study-women-asm.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{weldegiorgis2019skills, author = {Weldegiorgis, Fitsum}, title = {{Skills Building for Women in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2019}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/igf-case-study-women-asm.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }