WOMEN AND MINING Voice, Empowerment, Opportunity Extractive Industries: Legal and Fiscal Regimes, Revenue Management, and Good Governance May 17, 2007 Adriana Eftimie, Sheila Shariari and John Strongman (COCPO) Sheila Shariari and John Strongman (COCPO)

The Gender Bias in Mining  As we just heard, mining development have both positive and negative impacts for communities  Increased body of evidence shows that a gender bias exists in distribution of risks and benefits of mining projects:  benefits typically accrue to men in the form of employment, income, and compensation, and  the costs, such as family/social breakdowns, cultural harm and environmental degradation, fall most heavily on women and children.

Key Risks of Mining Activities on Women Risks   Loss of ownership or use of fertile agricultural land or gardens   Environmental harm and water pollution leading to loss of water sources and depleted fish stock   Exclusion from mining employment opportunities and other income generating activities   Increase in domestic abuse and sexual violence leading to social disruption and family breakdown   Alcoholism, prostitution, rise in HIV/AIDS and other STDs   Loss of safety and security due to influx of migrants

Key Benefits of Mining Activities on Women Benefits   Improved access to education   Improved infrastructure and transport   Improved access to health care   Improved community social services   Direct mining project employment   Indirect employment opportunities through linkages, SME developments, and micro-credit loans

Why Gender Matters: The Development Case for Empowering Women  Investment in women’s economic and social empowerment is a direct investment in the community and the economy because:  Women generally use available income for food, shelter, health, education, and savings for their families, whereas men are prone to use income for personal consumption.  Women make-up half of the productive labor force and discrimination against women in the labor market is an impediment to economic growth.

Why Gender Matters: The Business Case for Empowering Women Ensuring gender equality in economic opportunities and including women’s concerns in mining activities can also directly improve a company’s bottom line by: Ensuring gender equality in economic opportunities and including women’s concerns in mining activities can also directly improve a company’s bottom line by:  Minimizing tensions and conflict between the community and the mining developer, enabling management to devote more time to core business and less time on responding to concerns or conflict management  Increasing productivity and reducing cost through hiring more women who perform some jobs more efficiently than men.  Safeguarding company reputation and brand image with shareholders and international NGOs.  Achieving greater payoffs and sustainability from community- related expenditures and actions.  Improving safety and environmental standards because women show greater willingness to respect safety and environmental safeguards.

Actions for Economic Empowerment Companies –Affirmative action for greater employment of women –Job skills training for both internal and external employment –Spin-off jobs and contracts aimed at women –Community economic development programs – emphasizing women’s priorities Communities and NGOs –Micro-credits for women’s business/cottage industries –Men and women equally represented as agents for community level distribution of benefits payments Government –Local/regional/national development plans that include support for women’s business development priorities –Relevant ministry to direct a percentage of compensation and royalty benefits to support community-based Sustainable Development Programs including women’s projects

Actions for Social Empowerment Companies –Appointment of gender desk for women’s issues (both internal and community related) –Include community women representatives in discussions at all stages of project life Communities and NGOs –Select and support women to represent community concerns in committee and forums –Liaise with local government on issues of concern to women Government –Establish gender desks in relevant ministries; Provincial and local level governments –Develop programs to mitigate social risks such as family and community breakdown –Address women’s social priorities in planning service delivery such as health, education and security

Actions for Improved Well-being Companies –Literacy training for women in local communities –Community access to company health services –Counseling for both female and male employees to reduce domestic violence and assist victims of violence Communities, NGOs and Government –Support adult literacy, vocational skills and business training –Education about HIV/AIDs and other high risk diseases –Survey of women’s access to social and community services –Educate women about their rights and responsibilities regarding violence and abuse –Establish counseling services for victims of violence and abuse –Establish support services for alcohol and drug abuse

What Can We Do? 1. Look at our mining projects through the gender lens of benefits and risks  Ensure that country/ project site consultations include women’s groups so women have equal access to project information and can participate in the decision-making that affects their lives Listen to women’s voices:   Give women a forum to identify strategies to improve their lives Respond to women’s needs and requests:   Design interventions to address women’s needs – eg micro-credit schemes, literacy programs, and counseling for victims of abuse

What Can We Do? (cont’) Empower women leaders to help others in their communities:   Support women leaders from mining communities and increase their capacity to have a voice in mining decision making 5. Empower women to be engaged in the assessment of the impacts of mine development  Design participatory monitoring and evaluation systems that actively involve women.

A step forward TTL Guideline Mainstream gender issues in mining projects by providing guidance for task managers on how to incorporate gender issues into the project cycle through:  identifying and consulting with women’s groups on key gender issues in the sector during project design and preparation.  effectively implementing gender sensitive interventions and ensuring a participatory monitoring and evaluation system that actively involves women during project supervision.

Thank you!