Women’s Empowerment & Extractivism in Post-Havana Colombia: A Critical Feminist Analysis

This study examines the gendered impacts of extractivism in Colombia’s conflict-affected regions, with a focus on the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector in Antioquia. While research on Latin American extractivism has often emphasized environmental impacts, there has been limited attention to gender-specific dynamics. Women in Colombia play essential roles in artisanal mining—both in traditional barequeo and working as scrap workers, so-called chatarreras—while facing challenges related to gender-based violence, health risks from mercury exposure, and broader socio-political instability. These issues are exacerbated by ongoing armed conflict and the incomplete implementation of the Colombian Final Peace Agreement threatening previous achievements in women’s empowerment.

Rooted in an intersectional feminist empowerment (IFE) framework, this research investigates the intersecting factors of violence, gender, and power that influence women’s experiences in ASGM. Drawing on Latin American feminist theory, the IFE framework incorporates critical consciousness and researcher reflexivity analyzing how ASGM simultaneously empowers and marginalizes women. Specifically, this study examines how extractive practices in Antioquia impact ASGM women navigating the stigma associated with illegal mining and the pressures from armed groups. By exploring the barriers they face in formalizing their work, the PhD project, partly funded by DAAD, sheds light on the strategies employed to challenge oppression and create pathways to empowerment.

Conducted in five Antioquian municipalities, this qualitative research draws on group interviews under a feminist phenomenological approach to document the lived experiences and grassroots efforts of women in the region, collaborating closely with local activists and mining communities to capture the complex realities of women working in ASGM.

Ultimately, this research aims to address the gaps in understanding the relationship between extractivism and women’s empowerment in Colombia, contributing to systematic knowledge of the unique challenges and resilience of ASGM women in the face of social and economic adversity, conflict, and shifting gender dynamics.