Industrial Mining and Social Investment in Santurbán: Reflections from a Gender Decolonial Approach

Citation:

Villamizar, Raquel M., and Andrea M. Jerez. 2020. “Industrial Mining and Social Investment in Santurbán: Reflections from a Gender Decolonial Approach.” Journal of International Women’s Studies, 21 (1): 30–46.

Authors: Raquel M Villamizar, Andrea M Jerez

Abstract:

The Canadian extractive company, Greystar (currently known as Eco Oro), provides diverse training and consultancy programs for entrepreneur women, as part of their social responsibility policy. This article reflects on the human talent training experience offered by Greystar in the mining towns of Vetas and California, in Santander, Colombia, from a gender decolonial perspective, and a global understanding of social practices. We followed an interpretive qualitative approach for analyzing data collected from public-dissemination brochures regarding the outreach projects offered by the extractive company, and from semi-structured interviews carried out with the studied population. This article shows how these programs emphasize sexist stereotypes, promote a gender-specific division of labor, ignore the capacities and interests of the local women, and do not generate a positive impact on their socio-economic conditions.

Keywords: mining industry, foreign investment, gender stereotypes, gender roles, Colombia

Topics: Coloniality/Post-Coloniality, Extractive Industries, Gender, Women, Gender Roles, Livelihoods Regions: Americas, South America Countries: Colombia

Year: 2020