 Women in Mining: A global study of the past two centuriesDacil Tania Juif and Katharina Mühlhoff IFCS - Working Papers in Economic History.WH from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Instituto Figuerola Abstract: The economic history of mining has largely overlooked the role of women, reflecting both the male dominance of the sector and the invisibility of women’s labour in historical sources. This chapter explores women’s roles in mining over the past two centuries, focusing on the Global South -particularly Africa- and includes a case study of copper mining in Rio Tinto, Spain, using company records. While mineral extraction was reserved for men, women played key supporting roles, especially in the 20th-century Global South, though this rarely translated into improved conditions or career opportunities. Within Africa, regional differences were stark: for instance, Angolan diamond mines increased female employment in the 1950s, while women were absent from company payrolls in the Central African Copperbelt. In Rio Tinto, most employed women were widows in vulnerable positions, suggesting that their work served as a form of social insurance rather than a step toward economic inclusion. These patterns highlight the need for further research using company records to better understand the influence of policy, culture, and industry structure on women’s roles in mining. Keywords: Mining; Work; Women; History; Global; South; Africa; Rio; Tinto (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cte:whrepe:47597 Access Statistics for this paper More papers in IFCS - Working Papers in Economic History.WH from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Instituto Figuerola |
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