Mainstreaming Gender in the Mines: Results from an Indonesian Colliery

Citation:

Lahiri-Dutt, Kuntala. 2006. “Mainstreaming Gender in the Mines: Results from an Indonesian Colliery.” Development in Practice 16 (2): 215–21.

Author: Kuntala Lahiri-Dutt

Annotation:

“Gender mainstreaming in mining is justified for four reasons:

·  Women often are the weakest and poorest in the local community. In traditional cultures, such as those in the remote regions of Indonesia that will be described in this paper, women feel they should keep quiet and hide their opinions and feelings. Consequently they become double victims, within the community and outside it.

·  Women are often the most affected by the adverse impacts of mining. Many multi-country studies have shown that women find it difficult to cope with the social, economic, and cultural changes brought about by mining expansion. Resettlement and rehabilitation often mean the loss of a livelihood base for the poorest families where women have the least power to stand up and express their difficulties.

·  Women in poor communities are often responsible for household survival by collecting food, fodder, and fuel for the family’s subsistence as well as caring for children—roles that are often not formally recognised or officially accepted.

·  The basic right to be heard, enabled, and empowered applies equally to women (ILO 2003). Planning processes have neglected this right, taking it for granted that planning for men by men would automatically improve the condition of women” (Lahiri-Dutt, 2006, p. 216).

Topics: Economies, Extractive Industries, Gender, Gender Mainstreaming, Livelihoods Regions: Asia, Southeast Asia Countries: Indonesia

Year: 2006