Iatreia · Published 2026-01-01 · DOI 10.17533/udea.iatreia.359
Introduction: In Colombia, women represent an important percentage in artisanal and small-scale mining; however, the invisibility of their occupational health problems is well-known. Objective: To characterize health and working conditions of women in artisanal, small and large-scale mining in Colombia. Methods: An exploratory study was conducted using documentary analysis technique, and included documents published between 2014 and 2023. Results: Mining activities involving women were identified in 16 departments of the country, and the exposure profile included an important number of occupational risks. Exposure to mercury in gold mining was the most studied risk because it can cause neuropsychological and gynecological symptoms. Psychosocial risks such as workplace discrimination, physical and sexual violence, and the phenomenon of double presence were also documented. Conclusions: The presence of women in artisanal, small- and large-scale mining reaches a large part of the national territory. Multiple occupational risks were found, where chemical exposure to mercury was the most relevant in the documents analyzed. Likewise, menstrual cycle disorders, arthralgia and neurotoxic symptoms were health effects related with mining work.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
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