ABSTRACT
Mining is an industry which has always been male-dominated. Among the women in unconventional roles, only a small minority feel they have to work harder than men to receive respect in the workplace. The arrival of the mine produced significant consequences for women, both positive and negative, that are distinct from those experienced by men. The mine has brought changes that continue to ripple through the local communities, some of which are almost invisible, and often affect women disproportionately. It was well into the construction phase, ten years after initial discovery, that Minera San Cristobal (MSC) hired a woman to engage with the communities, which opened the way for women to communicate directly with the company rather than mediated by transmission through the men. Community leaders are particularly pleased with the day-care centre in San Cristobal for very young children of MSC employees.
