Project profile — Gender Equality in Artisanal Mining

• Congo, Democratic Republic (33.00%)
• Uganda (33.00%)
• Zimbabwe (34.00%)

• Secondary Education: Vocational training (11330) (30.00%)
• Government And Civil Society, General: Women's rights organisations and movements, and government institutions (15170) (30.00%)
• Mineral Resources And Mining: Mineral/mining policy and administrative management (32210) (10.00%)
• General Environmental Protection: Environmental education/training (41081) (30.00%)

• Gender equality (principal objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (significant objective)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• Nutrition (significant objective)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

The project aims to support women working in the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) sector to tackle the barriers they face, with respect to achieving full gender equality in the ASM sector. The project works in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Zimbabwe and aims to provide women with the tools to gain economic security, independence and voice, coupled with meaningful space in decision-making structures that have a direct impact on their livelihoods (e.g. mining cooperatives). The project also aims to ensure that the ASM physical environment is better protected to ensure that mining is carried out in ways that do not have a negative impact on women and their communities, and empower women to articulate and defend their concerns, including health and safety concerns that are often overlooked or disregarded as of lesser importance. Project activities include: (1) providing technical assistance to legislators, policy and other decision-makers on how to apply gender assessment tools to new and existing laws, regulations, policies and initiatives; (2) raising awareness for relevant stakeholders on how to combat harmful social stigma and cultural taboos that remain as an obstacle to women’s full economic participation in the mineral supply chain; and (3) providing technical assistance to women of ASM communities to develop relevant skills (financial literacy, management and business) to more actively defend their interests and participate in mining cooperatives. The project aims to directly benefit an estimated 1,000 women and men working at project artisanal mine sites in the three targeted countries.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved laws, regulations, policies and initiatives created and/or adapted and implemented by governments in DRC, Uganda and Zimbabwe that are enhancing women’s security and gender equality in the mining sector; (2) improved economic benefits for women derived from mineral supply chains in DRC, Uganda and Zimbabwe; and (3) improved environmental conditions of ASM mining communities in DRC, Uganda and Zimbabwe, prioritizing conditions that affect women most negatively.

Results achieved as of the end of the project (December 2022) include: (1) increased women’s peace and security in mining associations by 22% in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 35% in Uganda and 5% in Zimbabwe as per the 2022 WPS Index; (2) improved women’s economic empowerment in Uganda by 18% and in Zimbabwe by 15% as measured by the Women's Economic Empowerment Index; (3) reached 1,244 (784 women) artisanal miners, surpassing the target by 17%. This total represents nearly 70% of the miner membership numbers across the targeted five member associations of 1,800 members; and (4) reached 146 decision-makers across the three target countries, 49% of whom are women.

• Proactive disclosure