Resource Booms and Entrenched Gender Roles in the Andes

This paper examines the effects of mining booms on local labor markets in contexts where traditional gender roles limit women's participation. Results show that job creation is primarily driven by increased male employment in mining, with spillovers into construction and local services. Female employment responses are mixed, while some women gain access to these jobs, others shift toward unpaid domestic work. The expansion of mining appears to benefit men and unmarried women, while married women and those with caregiving responsibilities face reduced opportunities. Women are also more affected by heterogeneity in age and education. The findings underscore the role of the care economy and gender dynamics in shaping labor market outcomes during resource booms.