The consequences of Mining

What are the consequences of mining in the global and local communities? When we started this project we asked ourselves this broad question and we hope that we will find some interesting facts to learn from the project.  At this stage, we have seen and witnessed various societal and community factors.  It is. Not the intention to discuss all of them here. We would like to share some points while we are analyzing the data.

The primary influence is on economic development which is prominent in all communities we explored in this project. Economic contributions come in many forms such as tax, job creation, microfinance, working with local suppliers, and improvement of basic infrastructure in the local areas. 

In Laos, for instance, most women are employed in various sectors and departments in the mining industry. Economic impacts last in the community and seem to have various impacts on the community. Status of women in the community can also be changed because of the economic empowerment. Roles they play in the community have recently changed from the receipients of income to the contributors to family's well-being.

An interesting issues also include fairness in employment and equity in the workplace. Although women have been employed by mining companies, some complained about (lack of) opportunities to participate in the recruitment and selection process. Having their voices reflected in the public arena is important and they hope to be more proactive in the community in this regard.