Mining and women’s agency: Evidence on acceptance of domestic violence and shared decision-making in India

Abstract

We study the impact of proximity to mineral deposits and active mines on women’s agency in India. Identification leverages the plausibly exogenous spatial variation in the occurrence of mineral deposits and mineral types across districts. Results indicate that women’s outcomes improve near mines: women have less tolerance of physical violence and they report fewer barriers to accessing healthcare. Concomitantly, men’s likelihood of making decisions jointly with spouses increases, and men are less likely to justify domestic violence. These benefits are larger near mines that employ relatively high shares of women. The key mechanism is the sharing of mining royalties with local groups to support investments in vulnerable populations, which contributes to better economic conditions for women. Findings imply that mineral mining can bring measurable benefits to women’s agency, especially when profits are invested in improving the welfare of local populations.