Paper short abstract:

This paper takes into account global debates surrounding women’s role in development and examines how women's involvement in anti-mining activism impacts on traditional social structures that perpetuate gender inequalities.

Paper long abstract:

In Latin America, the anti-mining movement has gained a reputation for building upon existing gender inequalities, relegating women's concerns and discouraging them from gaining political recognition.

This paper study the experiences of a handful of women activists across rural areas in Peru that are using their community activism to contest gender inequalities. Their history, objectives and activities are discussed in order to gain some understanding of the possibilities and problems concerning their struggle to achieve recognition not only as local leaders but of the anti-mining movement.

Using the women's own perspective as a starting point, the researcher documents both subtle improvements in gender norms as well as the processes through which the activists transform them into catalysts for changes in gender norms. The paper suggests an important link between women's anti-mining activism and a recognition of women as social actors.