Women Sustainability Forum 2015
in partnership with
IBF pioneered the Gender Approach to Social Impact Assessment in the mining industry in Latin America at the Women Sustainability Forum 2015
Theme: Integrating a Gender Lens into the Industry
Location: Vina del Mar, Chile
The Women Sustainability Forum (WSF) 2015 pioneered the ‘Women in Mining and Resources Latin America’ network that later adopted the name of Exceptional Women in Sustainability (eWisely). It did this through three sessions under the theme ‘Integrating a Gender Lens into the Industry’. The sessions aimed to provide participants with practical recommendations on how to integrate a gender lens into male dominated industries. WSF 2014 was held in the frame of the Annual International Impact Assessment Conference IAIA and targeted corporate employees, governments, consulting firms, and civil society. Community leaders and women from resource regions also attended this workshop.Â
Session 1: Gender and Diversity at the Workplace
There is an increased participation of women in the extractive industry, a previously considered male-dominated sector. Nowadays, we find women working for mining, oil, transport and other relevant industries. Lack of understanding to include females in the industry has led to internal conflict between employees and community members. A situation that has also resulted in delays and productivity losses for companies. Therefore, this Forum aimed to identify opportunities and challenges to increase female participation in the industry’s workforce.
Session 2: A Gender Approach to Social Impact Assessment
IBF pioneered the Gender Approach to Social Impact Assessment in the mining industry in Latin America.Â
Impacts led by any industry have implications for both females and males. Women can face stronger direct or indirect effects caused by mining or other productive sectors (OXFAM, 2009). Including a gender strategy into business practices is key to create added value for stakeholders and to achieve corporate objectives associated with diversity, inclusion, business risk mitigation and respect for human rights. Promoting equitable community development through adverse mining impact mitigation and the fostering of positive outcomes for communities.
Session 3:Â A Gender Approach to Community Engagement and Participation in the Resource Sector
Fostering social and cultural changes requires greater stakeholders’ understanding of those transformations. Participation is key to understanding gender and diversity issues. Participation goes beyond information provision and public consultation. It involves resource identification, capabilities, women’s needs and potential limitations that might prevent their participation in these processes. The overall objective of these sessions was to increase knowledge and enhance capabilities to manage gender issues in community engagement and participation processes in the resource sector.
Sponsors and speakers of this event
- International Mining for Development CentreÂ
- eWisely (Exceptional Women in Sustainability)
- The Observatory for Gender and Equality
- Instituto Nacional de Normalización
- Mujer Opina
- Anglo American Chile
- Fundación Los Pelambres
- Crecer Consultores
- Gestion Social
- Academic community
Find out more about the WSF 2015