Workshop on Women, Mining and the Environment held in Whitehorse

Gaining Ground: Women, Mining and the Environment was a two-day gathering held at Lake LaBerge, Yukon, September 15-17, 2000. It brought together women from Yukon communities affected by mining and women from elsewhere with experience in the health, science, and social science sectors. The gathering broke new ground in recognizing and understanding the impacts of mining on communities and families, as well as the interrelationship between women, mining, and the environment, and it set clear directions for moving forward.

The idea for the gathering grew out of the recognized absence of information about how the mining industry affects women and their families. By raising their voices and demanding to be heard, women can push the mining industry to evolve and to address the needs of women. The planning and environmental assessment stages of a mining project usually focus on technical and economic issues, while the project's effects on family health are seldom scrutinized.

The Gaining Ground statement (available as a PDF file) remains a "draft" because its findings are a work in progress. Please write to us to share your comments and experiences.