Women's participation in the mining industry: Tracing the business case across APEC countries

Abstract

The role of women in mining economies is increasingly recognized in management and policy fora. Nonetheless, mining remains a male-dominated industry. In this paper, we examine how women's participation in the mining industry is commonly articulated through what we refer to as a ‘business case’ approach, and find that this approach is frequently adopted by both mining companies and gender-based interest groups. While the ‘business case’ approach facilitates the engagement with women's concerns regarding their participation in the workforce; we argue that it potentially sidesteps important social and political factors and thereby overlooks broader considerations for advancing gender equity in mining. The analysis draws on data collected in 2019 through a survey, as well as semi-structured interviews and workshops with representatives of mining companies and gender-focused groups across selected APEC countries. In our analysis, we found three overriding insights regarding the ‘business case’ approach, as articulated by key representatives. Specifically, it: 1) supports gender equity policies to validate women's place in the industry; 2) promotes a gender equality-friendly image, and; 3) considers only particular intersectional identities. Ultimately, these findings reveal the need for future research on how corporate initiatives and government policies could adopt a more inclusive gender-transformative approach that encourages the promotion of women, LGBTQ+, and other underrepresented groups in the mining industry, including consideration of men and masculinity as part of efforts to promote gender inclusion in mining, while also supporting individuals with other intersectional identities (e.g., racialized and disability). We also consider other issues important from a gender lens beyond the ‘business case’ approach, including interactions with communities.