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Empowering actions: Alliance for Responsible Mining Conducts Gender-based Violence Workshop in Peru
Photo by Alliance for Responsible Mining(ARM)
In a continuous effort to promote equality and gender awareness, the Alliance for Responsible Mining conducted a gender violence workshop at the Oro Puno SA mining organization, certified with the Fairmined standard since 2018, located in the district of Ananea, Peru. The workshop, held on October 27, 2023, marked the beginning of a series of sessions designed to identify and address gender-based violence, as part of the Inclusive Charpitas project implemented by the Alliance for Responsible Mining, with the support of Ensemble Foundation and Ford Foundation.
In Peru, during 2022, various Women’s Emergency Centers (CEM), managed under the Aurora National Program, handled 154,000 cases of gender-based violence in its different forms. Additionally, 130 feminicides were recorded in that period. By mid-2023, 58 feminicides have been reported, along with 42,800 cases of violence against women, both in the capital and in the regions, according to the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations (Mimp).
The aim of these activities is to promote gender equity in the artisanal and small-scale mining sector. The workshop was directed at the technical team of the mining organization, mainly composed of men. In this space, we successfully identified the forms in which gender-based violence is exercised in the different environments where men and women interact. The workshop addressed the subject, unveiling the complexities of gender-based violence from its most subtle manifestations.
Photo ARM team
During the session, key tools and concepts were highlighted for the workers through the sharing of international background on gender-based violence, strategies to eradicate the problem, and local laws and platforms of action in Peru. Through group dynamics and exercises, there was active participation from the miners. The willingness and positivity shown by the participants indicate a significant step towards awareness and action, reinforcing the commitment of Fairmined certified miners to more equitable and just practices.
“The workshop participants were very receptive to the information and practical exercises. In issues like gender-based violence, it is crucial to shed light on subtle situations of violence. Having the openness and willingness demonstrated by the attendees in this awareness phase is essential” stated Ruth Ester Arpasi Chahuares, Technical Coordinator of the Alliance for Responsible Mining.
PROMOTING GENDER EQUALITY IN THE ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE MINING SECTOR
“For organizations working in the ASM sector, having a gender perspective means identifying and recognizing how unequal gender relations affect labor relationships, economic stability, decisions, and distribution within the organization. Therefore, introducing a gender approach within organizations allows progress in designing and implementing actions to promote equality” expressed Maria Kamila Gómez, Gender Specialist of the Alliance for Responsible Mining. She also emphasized the importance of including men in this process so that, by participating in awareness spaces, they can deconstruct normalized cultural patterns and promote gender equality collectively and horizontally.
This workshop is just the beginning of efforts in the mining organization Oro Puno to create a mining environment conscious of the gender approach, demonstrating that responsible mining goes beyond mineral extraction. It also includes a holistic commitment to justice and equality.
To contribute to this and other actions join the Fairmined initiative! Contact us at info@fairmined.org.
