Breaking Ground: Critical minerals, critical opportunities for women’s participation

The side event of the 69th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) allowed the discussion on women’s roles and opportunities related to the extraction, production, and beneficiation of critical minerals for the energy transition and related sectors, including strategies to ensure their equal participation at every step—from artisanal and small-scale mining to higher-value-added processes.

The event organised by the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), featured industry experts such as Fernanda Ballesteros, NRGI's Country Manager for Mexico.

This event was designed to foster dialogue on strategies needed to ensure that women can benefit from the trade and employment opportunities in the expanding mineral sector, showcase policies to facilitate women’s equitable participation in the low-carbon energy transition, and discuss public and private policies to enhance finance, technology, and markets for women in the mineral value chain.