Eftimie, Adriana; Heller, Katherine; Strongman, John; Hinton, Jennifer; Lahiri-Dutt, Kuntala; Mutemeri, Nellie
Description:
Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM)
is a global reality. It represents a longstanding and
important livelihood for more than 100 million men and women
around the world. In some places, communities have practiced
it for generations; in other places, the prospect of new
mineral finds draws large numbers of people suddenly to
mining areas. Whether newly begun or long established, ASM
has the potential to help men and women out of poverty when
conducted in an informed and responsible way. In different
communities, different techniques are used, and men and
women share different divisions of labor, risks, and
opportunities. ASM assessments, and the recommendations for
action arising from these, are critical to the objectives of
every ASM stakeholder, whether the large-scale mining (LSM)
company seeking to improve the outcomes of its corporate
social responsibility programs, a government agency or
nongovernmental organization (NGO) seeking to fulfill its
policy mandate, a microfinance organization promoting small
and medium enterprise development in mining areas, or an
association of miners seeking to formalize its activities.
The toolkit is comprised of six components: introduction to
gender and ASM; the gender and ASM framework; gender and ASM
tools; the toolkit in practice; resources; and supplemental CD-ROM.