2024-02-12 07:40:44
Washington, USA, February 5, 2024 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/-Women make up about a third of the workforce in artisanal and small-scale mining, which provides essential minerals for modern technologies and to the global energy transition. But gender discrimination in mining laws and disregard for health, safety and social protection limit the rights and economic opportunities of women working in mining, according to a new World Bank report. artisanal and small-scale mines.
Launched today at the annual Mining Indaba conference, the 2023 State of the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Sector Report (2023 State of the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Sector), a collaboration with international development organization PACT, details gender inequalities in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) and highlights actions to improve gender equality and advance women’s participation. It reviews the mining laws of 21 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America, and draws on primary data collected from 1,900 participants, providing insight unique on the deep-seated barriers women face to fully participating in ASM activities and the opportunities to achieve gender equality.
« Women working in artisanal and small-scale mining face considerable challenges that require urgent action to ensure their safety and development both at the mine and at home “, said Demetrios Papathanasiou, World Bank Global Director for Energy and Extractive Industries. “We are delighted to release this groundbreaking report, which offers concrete solutions to create a more inclusive and equitable mining sector, for the benefit of women and all. »
The report calls for the adoption of gender-responsive legislation to protect the rights of women in the mining sector and create a more sustainable sector. These include improving mining codes – which often lack provisions to strengthen women’s participation – and changing discriminatory property laws and land agreements that prevent women from owning land and to access mineral resources for artisanal and small-scale mining purposes.
Poor working conditions, unsanitary conditions and violence, as well as domestic work, also have a disproportionate impact on the health and income of women working in artisanal and small-scale mines, relegating them to low-paid roles and exposing them to a risk of death 90 times higher than that of men. The issue of women’s health, working conditions and safety has received little attention due to the perception that the mining industry is dominated by men. The report calls on policymakers to consider the specific risks women face in order to improve their health and safety at work in mining environments. The report also highlights the need to strengthen women’s associations and women-led professional groups, which have played a critical role in improving the visibility of women working in artisanal and small-scale mining and in advancing gender equality reforms in the mining sector.
“We must follow the path of women’s empowerment and equal participation in mining, which will pave the way for a fairer future and prosperous communities”declares Rachel Perks, senior mining specialist at the World Bank and co-author of the report.
“It is essential to create an environment in which women working in artisanal and small-scale mining can make their voices heard and fully exercise their rights without discrimination. »
Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) for the World Bank.
About artisanal and small-scale mining
Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) plays a crucial role in the global mining industry. It employs around 45 million people in 80 countries, and thus represents the largest workforce in the global mining industry. This sector contributes significantly to livelihoods and economic growth and is the main source of employment for millions of people. However, the World Bank estimates that 80-90% of ASM miners worldwide operate informally, without the licenses and permits required by law, and that practices are poor. Among ASM’s main contributions is the supply of various minerals essential to modern technologies, including communications technologies, clean and low-carbon energy technologies, and the production of jewelry items. ASM is estimated to provide 18-30% of the world’s cobalt, which is essential to fuel the global transition to clean energy.
Women play an important role in ASM, with around a quarter to a third of ASM miners being women. However, efforts to formalize the ASM sector over the past 40 years have not had a significant impact on a large scale. There is an urgent need for continued interventions and support to improve working conditions and opportunities for ASM miners, with a focus on women.
The World Bank has been an important partner in formalizing ASM since the late 1970s. For over forty years,
the Bank financed the formalization of ASM through loans, grants and analyzes
in 31 countries. During this period, she also championed important global initiatives on ASM and played an important role as interlocutor and advisor for various international ASM initiatives. Through the Extractives Global Programmatic Support Trust Fund, the World Bank is committed to promoting gender equality in the extractives sector and continues to support governments in developing and adopt policies and take steps to mainstream gender equality in the extractive industries sector.