New directions in research on women and gender in extractive industries

Since the year 2000, an unprecedented commodity boom has been accompanied by intense scholarly attention on the various challenges involving women and gender in extractive industries. However, instead of being a marginal add-on area, gender issues are now at the forefront of research on mining, and the volume of research has turned the thematic area into a field in its own right. Taking 2006 as the milestone year, this paper reviews the emerging directions in literature on women and gender in both large, industrial-scale mining and informal, artisanal and small-scale mining to draw out the main research threads. It concludes with a discussion of anticipated areas of future research and the theoretical frameworks they might rely upon.

Automated summary

Since 2000, there has been significant academic attention on the challenges concerning women and gender in the extractive industries, driven by an unprecedented commodity boom. Gender issues have now become a key focus area in mining research, with a substantial volume of research turning it into a distinct field. This paper reviews the emerging directions in literature on women and gender in both large-scale and small-scale mining, and discusses potential areas of future research and theoretical frameworks.