Women and gender in artisanal and small-scale mining: A review and future research directions

Abstract

Despite women and gender issues being at the forefront of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) research, a narrative review showcasing the current state of the burgeoning literature that has sought to contribute to the understanding of women and gender issues and its implication for the broader low-tech mining space is lacking. Analysis of multiple databases including SCOPUS, Google Scholar, and Web of Science from January 1996 to January 2024 enabled us to identify and label ten (10) perspectives which emerged from a review of the literature: (1) women's direct and indirect participation in ASM, (2) gendered organisational structure and occupational segregation, 3) ownership, management and leadership in ASM spaces, (4) women, ASM formalisation and the policy landscape, (5) ASM work environment and women's working conditions, (6) occupational health and safety issues, (7) sexual harassment and gender-based violence, (8) women's economic empowerment and sustainable livelihoods through ASM, (9) women and migration into ASM spaces, and (10) key theories and concepts used in the women-gender-ASM literature. Adopting a problematising approach, our review revealed various conceptual, theoretical and empirical absences across the domains that constitute future research opportunities. Overall, our study brings together the growing but fragmented body of research on women and gender issues in ASM, traces the historical overview of the emerging field, and outlines important avenues for research, policy and practice to improve women's socio-economic outcomes in the sector.