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The World Bank launched a report on Monday, calling for measures to ensure gender equality in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM).
The 2023 State of the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Sector report, launched during the 2024 annual African Mining Indaba Conference in Cape Town, South Africa said women account for about one-third of the artisanal and small-scale mining workforce, which supplies minerals essential to modern technologies and the global energy transition.
“But gender discrimination, enshrined in mining laws, and disregard for health, safety, and social protection limit the rights and economic opportunities of women artisanal and small-scale miners,” finds the new World Bank report, a collaboration between the Bank and the international development organization Pact.
The report details gender inequalities in ASM, highlighting actions to improve gender equality and advance women’s participation.
The 2023 State of the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Sector report drew its conclusions after reviewing laws in 21 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America, and responses from 1,900 participants, contributing unique insights into the deep-seated barriers women face in fully participating in ASM activities and opportunities toward gender equality.
Additionally, the report identified poor working conditions, sanitation, violence, and domestic work as other factors that also disproportionately impact the health and incomes of women artisanal and small-scale miners, relegating them to low-paying roles and putting them 90 times more at risk of death than men.
It said little attention has been paid to women’s health, working conditions, and safety due to the perception of the mining industry as male dominated.
The report, therefore called for gender-responsive legislation, including improving mining codes, which often lack provisions to enhance women’s participation, changing discriminatory property laws and land tenure agreements that hinder women’s ability to own land and access mineral resources for artisanal and small-scale mining.
Gender-responsive legislation, the report believes will safeguard women’s rights in mining, and build a more sustainable sector.
It also urged policymakers to address the distinct hazards women face to improve their occupational health and safety in mining environments, calling for further empowerment of women’s associations and female-led professional groups, which have been critical in improving the visibility of women artisanal and small-scale miners and advancing gender reforms in mining.
“Women in artisanal and small-scale mining face formidable challenges that require urgent action to ensure they are safe and can thrive in the mine and at home,” said World Bank Global Director for Energy and Extractives, Demetrios Papathanasiou.
Papathanasiou added: “We are thrilled to release this ground-breaking report, which offers concrete solutions to create a more inclusive and equitable mining sector that benefits women and everyone.”
In her comment, Rachel Perks, World Bank Senior Mining Specialist and co-author of the report, said, “Women’s empowerment and equal participation in mining are the right thing to do and will pave the way for a more just future and prosperous communities.
Photo Credit: The Herald
“It’s critical to create an environment in which women artisanal and small-scale miners can be heard and enjoy their rights without discrimination,” Perks stressed.
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