Women make up 30% of the global artisanal and small-scale gold mining workforce, and they have critical roles to play in the movement to #MakeMercuryHistory & to safeguard communities from unsafe mining practices. Projects in the planetGOLD programme promote the participation and advancement of women who choose to work in this mining sector in order to provide for themselves and their families. The programme works to give women miners access to safer, mercury-free technologies and to financing to support their transition to better practices--all while addressing structural barriers and regulations that often prevent women from fully reaping the benefits of this work. This International Women's Day, and every day, planetGOLD salutes women who are committed to making small-scale gold mining safer and cleaner for all.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a multilateral fund dedicated to confronting biodiversity loss, climate change, pollution, and strains on land and ocean health. Over the past three decades, the GEF has provided more than $22 billion in financing and mobilized another $120 billion for more than 5,000 national and regional projects.