21.06.2023 International Day of Women in Mining: Advancing Gender Justice in the Energy Transition

As the world focuses on the crucial role of renewable energy in combating the climate crisis, it is essential to consider the social dimensions of the energy transition. Women and marginalised groups are specifically affected by the negative impacts associated with mineral extraction. On the occasion of the International Day of Women in Mining on June 15, the intersection of women, mining, and the energy transition needs to be put into the spotlight.

The multi-stakeholder group Women's Rights and Mining (WRM) recently organised two events on the topic of gender and mining. The Sector Project “Extractives and Development” (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) currently chairs the Secretariat of WRM. WRM works with governments, civil society and companies to integrate gender equality into mining policy and projects. All genders ought to benefit equally from the mining sector and women’s rights ought to be anchored in mineral supply chains.

How to safeguard gender justice in the energy transition?

At the OECD Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains in Paris, WRM organised a partner session entitled “How to safeguard gender justice in the energy transition” on 27 April 2023. The session addressed the disproportionate negative effects experienced by women, such as exclusion from job opportunities and sexual harassment. Women are also disproportionately affected by environmental impacts of mining on water, land, and air quality. Participants from government, civil society and industry underlined the relevance of gender and intersectionality as a key factor for a just energy transition as it ensures that the needs and perspectives of all people, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, class and other dimensions are considered to enable an inclusive and sustainable transformation.

What does the energy transition mean for women and marginalised groups living in proximity to mineral extraction critical for the energy transition?

Side Event "Breaking Ground: Exploring the Gendered Impact of the Energy Transition on Mining Communities" with moderator Nicolas Maennling (GIZ MinSus) and speakers Joanne Lebert (Impact Transform), Ege Tekinbas (IGF) and Angela Langenkamp (GIZ)

The discussion on the gendered dimensions of mineral extraction continued in Berlin on 31 May 2023. In the run-up to the BMZ High-Level Forum on Mineral Supply Chains WRM organised side event “Breaking Ground: Exploring the Gendered Impact of the Energy Transition on Mining Communities”. The session was co-organised with the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals, and Sustainable Development (IGF) and focused on the opportunities and challenges related to women's economic empowerment and livelihoods in the mining sector. The speakers discussed feminist development policy in resource governance and the impact of increased mineral demand on economic empowerment. There was a consensus on the importance of mitigation strategies based on impact assessments, data, and technology.

Both events recognised the opportunities and challenges faced by women and marginalised groups in mining communities and emphasised the importance of applying a gender lens towards mining for the energy transition. German development cooperation, with its commitment to a feminist development policy (External link), has a crucial role to play in advancing gender equality in the raw materials sector. This includes promoting inclusive decision-making processes, strengthening the rights, resources and representation of women and marginalised groups, and thus fostering economic empowerment in the raw materials sector.

For more information, please contact Mayely Müller (External link).