Together with FIMA (Chile), we submitted a parallel report to the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW Committee) based on the results of a Participatory Action Research project conducted with women human rights defenders living in Antofagasta and Atacama, the central regions for critical mineral extraction in Chile. 

This submission seeks to amplify women's testimonies, experiences, challenges, and perspectives in areas affected by critical mineral extractive industries, specifically lithium mining, and bring their voices to the attention of CEDAW Committee members.

As we shift from fossil fuels to low-carbon, clean, and renewable energy, the demand for critical minerals, such as lithium, indispensable for producing sustainable energy technologies, is expected to rise exponentially. This growing demand has triggered an international geopolitical race for access to and control of these mineral deposits and a new wave of extractivism in countries where these natural resources are concentrated, many of which are in Indigenous territories and areas inhabited by rural communities in the Global South. In fact, according to some estimates, approximately 54% of transition mineral projects are located on or near Indigenous lands. 

This situation means that the exploration and exploitation of critical minerals pose significant challenges and potential socio-environmental risks for the territories where these transition minerals are found, including exacerbating structural conditions of gender inequality.

While the energy transition is crucial to addressing the climate emergency, it must not come at the expense of human rights. Energy transition must be implemented to address the climate emergency and prioritise compliance with human rights standards and gender equality principles. 

Conceiving alternatives to the current energy-mining model to achieve the decarbonisation of energy systems is a challenging task. However, moving towards a mineral use model that contributes to sharing the benefits with local communities, increases public revenues, and fosters circular economies to promote fairer societies in harmony with nature is essential.

This parallel report analyses how lithium exploration and exploitation in Chile, one of the most strategically critical transition mineral extractive industries, impacts women's rights at the local level. The assessment is based on the testimonies of ten women inhabitants of the regions of Antofagasta and Atacama, mostly belonging to Indigenous communities, activists, and human rights defenders covering the implications of lithium mining on a series of rights recognised under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. 

The report aims to raise awareness and encourage the CEDAW Committee to issue General Observations to the government of Chile to ensure that combating the climate emergency, including fostering low-carbon technologies, enhances rather than undermines women's rights.

You may read the parallel report here: