EITI and gender equality

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Summary

The extractive industries can have significant social, economic and environmental impacts on host communities. They can change the natural environment, employment opportunities, the cost of living and social dynamics.  These negative impacts are frequently faced by women and girls and the most vulnerable and most marginalized members of those communities.

Extractive projects can lead to women losing access to land, sometimes used for agricultural subsistence, or for necessities such as firewood. The loss of traditional livelihoods, coupled with increased wealth in an otherwise poor community, can force some women to engage in other activities such as sex work, increasing the risk to women of experiencing sexual and gender-based violence.

Transparency, accountability, consultations and good governance are key elements of well-managed natural resources. Efforts to enhance women’s participation in decision-making around the management, development and use of those resources should be also part of a wider agenda to ensure that extractive resources are managed fairly and in the best interest of all citizens.

The EITI’s efforts to gather data on gendered impacts and enhance women’s participation and empowerment seek to ensure that extractive resources are managed fairly and in the best interest of all citizens. In this document, the EITI highlights how gender issues have been integrated into EITI implementation.