By: Víctor Hugo Pachas – Manager Alliance for Responsible Mining, Perú and Bolivia.
THE INTRODUCTION OF A GENDER EQUALITY APPROACH IN THE ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE MINING SECTOR IS AN INNOVATIVE PROPOSAL AND IS NOT EXEMPT FROM CHALLENGES. THE CULTURAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC REALITY OF THE HIGH ANDEAN TERRITORY OF PERU MAKE IT NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT FLEXIBLE GENDER EQUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS. THE PILOT DEVELOPED IN THE CECOMIP MINING ORGANIZATION, WHERE WOMEN ARE LINKED TO THIS FORMAL MINING COOPERATIVE, GIVES US KEYS TO THIS PROCESS.
Women from the mining organization Cecomip participating in a workshop on gender violence awareness.
The gender inclusion pilot at CECOMIP (Fairmined certified mining organization, located in the district of Ananea, Peru) is part of the Charpitas Inclusivas Project, which takes place in a traditional environment of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). CECOMIP is made up of 166 partners and 70 female partners. The women participating in the pilot are working in Cecomip. The Pilot has considered an implementation stage (2021) and operation (2022): in the implementation stage, 4 activities were carried out: 1. The strengthening of a governance strategy with a gender approach; 2. Diagnosis of gender gaps; 3. The implementation of a management system for gender equality, and 4. Training for gender equality. but, what have been the challenges in this process?
AN INTERCULTURAL APPROACH TO GENDER INTERVENTIONS
How gender roles are distributed among mining associations, and how cultural beliefs and practices typical of the southern Andean region of Peru justify the sexual division of labor, or the exercise of violence by men against women, are issues that need to be addressed in-depth exploration of gender dynamics. The document on the diagnosis of gender gaps presents us with a broad characterization of the women miners of Ananea, both quantitatively and qualitatively, broadly covering all dimensions of women’s social life, allowing us to know their reality and propose lines of action to improve it. In short, it can be said that the implementation of the gender pilot has come up against gender relations and a sexual division of labor strongly conditioned by cultural and traditional patterns that are being investigated from an ethnographic point of view, a point that is important because it has allowed us to know and understand in depth the social reality of women around artisanal and small-scale mining. The multidimensional analysis with which we are working on makes it possible to establish lines of action to improve the lives of women miners and their activities from a gender perspective that ensures respect for their human rights and access to opportunities.
THE CHANGE SHOULD NOT ONLY COME FROM WOMEN'S MINDSET BUT ALSO FROM MEN AND THE MINING ORGANIZATION
For the mining organizations benefiting from the project, the introduction of the gender issue has also posed a challenge to intercultural openness. It was thanks to this pilot that the collaborators of the mining organization heard about the concept of gender equality for the first time. The training sessions reached a total of 195 people, 94 women, and 101 men. The first conclusions lead us to affirm that the women of CECOMIP have greater independence regarding the decision about their salary than other women, very possibly because of their employment status in a formalized company. Including men in this conversation is necessary to accompany the gender processes and collectively execute the tactics in a pilot like this. The gender issue must not be isolated from the mining organization, it must be part of it so that the processes to be implemented have an impact of 360°, and both women and men speak the same language and seek the same goals.
ADDRESSING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AT 360°
Gender-based violence goes beyond the job context, there have been cases of violence and discrimination outside the mining organization, where it becomes important to train men and women about the gender approach not only at the work level but at a holistic level.
One of the most important conclusions left by the workshops developed is the interest shown by the participants in gender issues, since the attendance of women demonstrates their willingness to work together to improve their living and working conditions. CECOMIP established a Gender Equality Committee and is willing to address gender issues. This allows us to track and measure the developed activities and improvements. The response to calls for training and workshops has been positive, which shows interest from the members of the certified mines to learn more about gender issues, and their openness to transform their realities in favor of human development. This process requires accompaniment and both the Alliance for Responsible Mining team and its specialist allies on the subject will continue to expand these pilots.
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