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

How to – Know and understand
In order to assess the gender
related impacts of change, the
SIA must project or evaluate
change with gender dimensions in
mind. Below are some questions
which may be answered by a SIA,
focused on evaluating projected
impacts through a gender lens.
Differences in the way women
and men in the community
perceive and understand the
potential for the operation to
impact their lives should also
be understood. Where a SIA is
being undertaken for an existing
operation, the same questions
should be answered, but in the
context of a consideration of
actual, rather than predicted,
impacts.
A new set of gender related
impacts, positive as well as
negative, may arise in the context
of a mine expansion or a mine
closure and downscaling. As the
circumstances of the operation
change, job requirements may
change, livelihoods may be altered
once again, and land and other
natural and human resource use
patterns and needs shift. It may be
necessary to undertake additional
impact analysis including
consultation at these times.
Examples of questions that a SIA may answer
Do women and men in the community view the mining project differently and do they have different aspirations and concerns?
Is it likely that the predicted social, economic and environmental impacts of the project will be experienced differently by
women and men?
Will the project pose increased risks to the rights and interests of either women or men (eg increased incidence
of sexually transmitted diseases, increased risk of violence, threats to personal safety, threats to existing livelihoods,
changes to property ownership “rules”)?
What potential is there for the project to alter gender relations within the community?
– Does the project offer opportunities to create more equitable intra-household relationships?
– Does the project pose potential threats to either women or men by changing the balance of power or decision making
patterns within the family or access to resources etc? Can these changes lead to an increase in gender based conflict
violence? What measures can be taken to minimise or avoid these risks?
– Is there a likelihood of the elite, both men and women, in any community prioritising their own concerns without
reference to the more vulnerable?
How can the project avoid or minimise potential male-female conflicts of interest, and promote social inclusion and cohesion?
– Are there stakeholders (NGOs that work with women, all male work unions) that might be expected to actively further
or hinder efforts to achieve more equitable gender-related goals? How can their contribution be secured in a way that
does not compromise our efforts to integrate gender in our work?
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