The OECD Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains (held from 21 -24 May 2024 in Paris) reflects this mix of longstanding and emerging priorities. Sessions focus on conflict risks, development minerals, policy cohesion in an evolving regulatory landscape, and the role for responsible business conduct in government-to-government agreements on transition minerals. 

Today, as part of the Forum, a successful and well attended side-event, organized by the Women’s Rights and Mining network, in cooperation with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and coordinated by the Permanent Representation of the Netherlands to the OECD,  focused on ways to improve the role of women in artisanal and small-scale mining: Reclaiming Power? Perspectives from the Global South on addressing structural barriers to female participation in Artisanal Small Scale Mining. It showed the economic importance of mining for women in the Global South, in spite of relatively low wages and unhealthy and difficult working conditions compared to those of men. It also illustrated how limited access for women to legal mining tends to push them into informality, which makes them even more vulnerable. Nevertheless, the conclusion of this event was one of hope. Speakers, helped by the audience, collectively identified the most important actions to take, such as improving the visibility and data availability of those problems among policy makers, buyers and consumers in order to, respectively, better enforce legislation, put pressure on the rest of the supply chains to grant women access to mining, and to make sure that transparency of those supply chains increases.

With panelists from the DRC, Peru, Nigeria and South-Africa, the examples of their first-hand experiences were very rich. For instance the case of the Pallaqueras in Peru was presented. They are female gold miners who recycle gold from mining waste and lack legal recognition, resulting in informal and unsafe working conditions.