A gendered resource curse? Mineral ownership, female unemployment and domestic violence in Sub-Saharan Africa
Metadata only
Date
2019-10Type
- Journal Article
ETH Bibliography
no
Altmetrics
Abstract
Several studies suggest that the extractive industry has negative consequences for gender equality despite the often positive growth impact of natural resources. We re-examine this claim at the sub-state level in sub-Saharan Africa and argue that we need to differentiate between ownership arrangements in the extractive industry. To test our argument on the gender dimension of the resource curse, this article employs unique data on the control rights of minerals within sub-Saharan countries as well as data from Afrobarometer and Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). Our quantitative analyses explore how international vs. domestic ownership of copper, diamond and gold mines affects the labor market integration of females and intimate partner violence. The regression results suggest in line with our theoretical expectations that gender-specific structural labor market shifts within extractive industries are contingent on mineral control rights. Our models show that within mining areas, only domestic ownership reduces male unemployment. While domestic mining seems to reinforce the traditional male breadwinner model, internationally owned mineral extraction induces structural labor market changes: women abandon subsistence farming activities and migrate to the service sector. Our results further indicate that this shift of traditional gender roles within rural mining areas is associated with less intimate partner violence. Show more
Publication status
publishedExternal links
Journal / series
Zeitschrift für Friedens- und KonfliktforschungVolume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
SpringerSubject
Resource curse; Gender equality; Intimate partner violence; Labor market integrationOrganisational unit
02890 - Inst. of Science, Technology and Policy / Inst. of Science, Technology and Policy
More
Show all metadata
ETH Bibliography
no
Altmetrics