Why gender matters - Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining ...

How to – Know and understand
Examples of questions that could be included as part of a baseline community assessment
Are women restricted from filling certain occupations and roles in the community, or denied equal access to education or gender/
culturally appropriate health services?
How do local cultural traditions and social expectations define gender roles for women and men? In what ways do these roles differ?
What differences exist between the daily activities and responsibilities of women and men? Are women as well as men involved in
the different sectors of production, and in the various aspects and stages of productive activities (such as crop raising, processing
and marketing)?
Are there differences between women and men in decision making and the ability to influence others? In the home? In the larger
community? In places of worship? In village/tribal councils?
What community institutions, if any, provide opportunities for women and men to articulate their needs and concerns?
How do health indicators compare between women and men? What do any differences suggest?
Do local women participate equitably in formal and informal institutions (eg tribal councils, local government), or are they largely
excluded from these?
What is the proportion of households headed by women? Are these households significantly poorer than male headed households?
What factors contribute towards any differences? Do men and women have similar/ different understandings for why this is?
Are there significant differences in gender relations within sub-populations of the community (Indigenous groups, religious or
ethnic groups, different socio-economic strata)?
What institutional arrangements, organisational structures and social norms either support or constrain the productive activities of
men and women?
What contributions do men’s and women’s activities make to household, clan, and/or community development? Are these
contributions based on age, ethnicity and other diversity factors, as well as gender?
What is the human rights context? Are individual and group formal and informal rights to land, property, physical well-being and
security safeguarded by the country’s laws and constitution? Are women’s rights equal under the law? Do men and women have
equal access to employment opportunities and basic services such as education and health? Do workplaces discriminate between
groups in terms of work opportunity and development? Is political, physical, or sexual harassment or abuse part of workplace or
community environments?
What are the aspirations and visions of the women and men for themselves and for the community in the future? Are they the
same or different?
Are there differences between women’s and men’s access to and control over resources? What reasons do men and women give?
Are they similar or different reasons?
Adapted from the World Bank 2005 Gender responsive social analysis: a guidance note: 17
Case study 3 is an example of a recent study commissioned by the
Communities team of the Oyu Tolgoi project in Mongolia, in which
gender issues and aspects of community life were examined in relation
to other cross-cutting diversity aspects such as age and income. This
was a broad-based study, and required the cooperation and participation
of many different communities, as well as government authorities
and service agencies. The study involved primary and secondary data
collection and analysis.
Case studies 4 and 5 provide examples of BCAs with gender considerations
integrated – the first from exploration in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India
and the second from Sulawesi, Indonesia. Case study 4 also describes the
project’s approach to women’s empowerment.
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