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The International Institute for Sustainable Development is a globally recognized think tank with more than 30 years of experience working to solve today's greatest sustainable development challenges. We combine deep expertise across critical policy areas with a collaborative approach to research, advice, and hands-on support that delivers real-world results. Headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, we are a diverse team of over 300 experts working from offices in Canada and Switzerland as well as other locations around the world.
The Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF), working with project partners, including International Women in Mining, the International Labour Organization (ILO), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, and the Environmental Governance Programme (EGP), jointly implemented by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the United Nations Development Programme, completed the first phase of the Women and the Mine of the Future (WMF) project. Phase I established a gender-disaggregated employment baseline across 12 countries and culminated in the 2023 Women and the Mine of the Future: Global Report.
The IGF and ILO are now extending the global baseline through the addition of Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. The purpose of this Terms of Reference is to commission a national baseline study for four new countries that is methodologically comparable with the original country studies and incorporates the most recent data available.
Background
Large-scale mining is being reshaped by rapid technological change, growing demand for minerals and metals needed for the energy and digital transitions, and increasing expectations for responsible and equitable mining. These shifts have significant implications for mining occupations, skills, working conditions, and labour market participation.
Reliable and comparable data are essential for understanding how women participate in the sector today and for designing policies that expand access to decent work and career progression. The first phase of the WMF project therefore focused on establishing a baseline of the gender-disaggregated profile of workers in large-scale mining. It covered Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ghana, Mongolia, Peru, South Africa, Sweden, and Zambia and examined employment, occupations, education and skills, age, earnings and gender pay gaps where available, working conditions, and relevant policy and regulatory frameworks.
The 2023 Global Report demonstrated both the value of the baseline and the persistence of significant data gaps. Official labour market statistics are often fragmented, not consistently disaggregated by sex, or not available at a sufficiently detailed level for mining-specific analysis. Differences in national classifications, survey frequency, sample size, and data collection practices can also limit cross-country comparability. The extension of the baseline to four additional countries will broaden the geographical coverage of the evidence base and support future comparative analysis.
Rationale for Baseline Extension
The additional country studies should build directly on the methodology and lessons of the first phase. In particular, the studies should prioritize official national statistics and internationally comparable classifications; clearly distinguish between data that are directly comparable and data that are country-specific; and transparently document gaps, proxies, methodological limitations, and differences between data sources.
For consistency with the original Phase I baseline, the principal focus of this assignment is direct employment in large-scale mining. Artisanal and small-scale mining, oil and gas extraction, and indirect employment in mining supply chains are outside the core quantitative scope of this assignment. Where relevant, these issues may be referenced briefly to clarify national definitions or contextualize the findings.
Objective of the Assignment
The overall objective of the assignment is to prepare a country baseline study for the pilot countries (Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United Kingdom) that can be integrated into the Women and the Mine of the Future global evidence base and compared, to the extent possible, with the 12 original country studies.
The specific objectives are to
compile and analyze the most reliable and recent gender-disaggregated data available on direct employment in the large-scale mining sector; describe the profile of women and men in mining by occupation, age, education and skills, employment status and working arrangements, and earnings or pay gaps, where data permit;
review the policy, legal, and institutional context relevant to women’s employment, working conditions, equal opportunity, occupational health and safety, and career progression in mining;
identify key data gaps, inconsistencies, and methodological limitations and propose practical measures to strengthen future data collection and reporting; identify relevant good practices and policy considerations that could improve women’s access to, retention in, and advancement within large-scale mining employment; and generate standardized evidence that can be used in cross-country comparison and future updates of the global baseline.
Scope of Work
The standardized quantitative component of the baseline, including the extraction, harmonization, and analysis of labour market data using International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) and International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) classifications, will be undertaken separately by a statistician contracted under the IGF–ILO collaboration, drawing on the ILO database and methodology. The national consultant will complement this analysis through the collection and analysis of country-level quantitative data and evidence, contextual research, and assessment of the policy, regulatory, and institutional environment affecting women’s employment in large-scale mining.
The consultant is expected to
prepare an Inception Report outlining the proposed methodology, work plan, national data sources, relevant stakeholders, and approach to data collection and analysis. The report should identify anticipated challenges related to data availability, access, definitions, coverage, and comparability, with reference to the analytical framework in Appendix B.
collect complementary quantitative data and support the quantitative baseline analysis by identifying and accessing relevant national and sectoral data sources in line with the analytical framework in Appendix B. These may include labour force and establishment surveys, national mining employment statistics, administrative data sets, and data from ministries and government agencies, industry associations, mining companies, workers’ organizations, education and training institutions, and other relevant sources. The consultant will collect available sex-disaggregated data relevant to the analytical framework, particularly where such information is not available or sufficiently disaggregated in the ILO data set. The consultant may also liaise with relevant institutions to clarify data definitions, coverage, and limitations. The consultant will not be expected to produce or replicate the standardized ISIC- and ISCO-based data analysis undertaken separately under the IGF–ILO collaboration.
review relevant national laws, regulations, policies, strategies, and institutional arrangements concerning mining, labour and employment, gender equality and non-discrimination, occupational health and safety, maternity and parental protections, education and skills development, and other issues relevant to women’s participation and progression in the sector. The consultant will also review available evidence on workplace practices, working conditions, and barriers and enabling factors affecting women’s employment.
undertake a qualitative and policy analysis of women’s participation and employment conditions in large-scale mining, including barriers to recruitment, retention, and advancement; occupational segregation; workplace conditions and enabling factors; education, training, and skills pathways; and the extent to which relevant policy, regulatory, and institutional frameworks support women’s participation and progression in the sector.
identify and document relevant good practices by governments, mining companies, industry associations, workers’ organizations, and other relevant actors aimed at improving women’s participation, retention, working conditions, and career progression in the mining sector.
assess gaps and challenges in national systems for collecting, classifying, and reporting sex-disaggregated mining employment data and identify opportunities for improvement. In coordination with the IGF and ILO, the consultant will document country-specific definitions, coverage issues, discrepancies between national and international sources, and other limitations affecting interpretation or cross-country comparability, and identify practical opportunities to strengthen national data systems.
interpret and contextualize the quantitative findings produced by the IGF and ILO, together with the complementary quantitative evidence collected at country level, drawing on the wider country analysis to explain key patterns, disparities, and trends in women’s employment in large-scale mining.
propose practical policy recommendations to address identified barriers and strengthen women’s participation, retention, working conditions, and career progression in the large-scale mining sector.
prepare a Country Report that brings together the quantitative and qualitative evidence and presents the following: the national mining, labour market, policy, regulatory, and institutional context, key findings on women’s employment and participation in large-scale mining, interpretation of the quantitative findings produced by the IGF and ILO and complementary country-level data, barriers to women’s recruitment, retention, and advancement, including occupational segregation, workplace conditions, enabling factors, and education and skills pathways, good practices and relevant initiatives, gaps and challenges in national sex-disaggregated mining employment data systems, and practical policy recommendations to strengthen women’s participation, retention, working conditions, and career progression in the sector.
participate in regular coordination meetings with the IGF and ILO project team, and, where relevant, other national consultants to provide updates, clarify methodological issues, discuss emerging findings, and support consistency across the country studies.
The analytical framework guiding the study is provided in Appendix B. The national consultant is expected to use this framework to guide the collection and analysis of relevant national-level data and evidence. The standardized ISIC- and ISCO-based quantitative analysis will be produced separately through the IGF–ILO collaboration.
Profile of the National Consultant
The successful candidate will have an advanced university degree in economics, labour studies, gender studies, public policy, mining, social sciences, or another relevant field, or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience. Additional qualifications include the following:
At least 7 years of relevant professional experience in mining, gender equality, labour and employment, public policy, or related research. Strong familiarity with the national mining sector is required.
Demonstrated experience in qualitative research, policy and institutional analysis, and high-quality analytical report writing, preferably on gender equality, employment, skills, or the extractives sector.
Ability to understand and interpret statistical findings and official labour market information, and to work effectively with a statistician or quantitative research team. Advanced microdata processing or ISIC/ISCO coding is not required for this assignment.
Demonstrated knowledge of gender equality issues affecting women’s participation, working conditions, retention, and advancement in the labour market; experience related to mining or other extractive industries is strongly preferred.
Ability to identify and critically assess official and non-official national sources, engage relevant institutions, and clearly explain country-specific definitions, data gaps, and contextual limitations.
Excellent written English. Fluency in the principal national language(s) required to access relevant legislation, policy documents, institutional information, and stakeholder perspectives.
Strong organizational skills and ability to work independently while coordinating closely with an international project team.
Modalities of Work
The consultant will work closely with the IGF and ILO project team, which will provide methodological guidance, relevant materials from the first phase, and feedback on deliverables. The IGF will serve as the main administrative focal point unless otherwise specified in the contract.
The assignment is expected to be carried out primarily from the consultant’s home base. Meetings will normally be held remotely. Coordination meetings will be organized at key stages of the assignment and as needed to resolve methodological or data issues.
All deliverables will be submitted in English in editable formats. Quantitative data should be provided in the standardized spreadsheet format supplied by the project team, with clear source references and metadata sufficient to reproduce the analysis.
Budget
Applicants are invited to submit their expected daily rates. This information will be considered during the selection process.
Key Reference Materials
Women and the Mine of the Future project page:
Women and the Mine of the Future: Global Report (2023):
Women and the Mine of the Future Country Reports:
Methodological Note for WMF Baseline Data:
Please review the full Terms of Reference _ National Consultant , with particular attention to the following sections and appendices:
Delivery and Timeline Schedule
Appendix A: Countries Covered by the Women and the Mine of the Future Baseline
Appendix B: Analytical Framework for the Country Baseline
Appendix C: International Labour Organization’s Skills Level Classification and Comparability Guidance
Appendix D: Suggested Research Questions for Phase I, including Data Sources and Collection Methods
Application Process
Application deadline: November 20, 2026 4PM CST
All applications must be submitted in English.
To apply for this consultancy, interested applicants should submit the following:
Cover letter
Detailed CV highlighting relevant experience
NOTE:
Incomplete and late proposals will be automatically disqualified.
