The silent (and gendered) violence: Understanding water access in mining areas through the rights lens

Gender is the key explaining factor for why the social and environmental impacts of mining do not affect communities in a homogeneous manner. Deliberate neglect of gendered power dynamics within the community often engineers a shift to, or enhances, masculinities associated with mining projects in the Global South. Drawing on a feminist political ecology perspective, this chapter argues that a rights-based approach to the study of mining impacts on communities must also integrate gender considerations when thinking about changes in water quality and quantity caused by large mineral extractive operations