On July 21, Colombia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy launched the “Gender Equity Policy for the Mining and Energy Sector,” a milestone for women and LGBTIQ+ individuals working in a historically male-dominated environment. This initiative was developed with technical support from the German Development Cooperation (GIZ)—as part of the Partnership through the Interfaz IKI and SolER projects—with the goal of moving toward a more inclusive and sustainable model that recognizes the voices of local communities.
The policy addresses structural and historical gaps in the sector, such as the underrepresentation of women and diverse populations in decision-making roles, as well as inequalities in access to quality jobs and economic opportunities arising from the energy transition.
In addition to its formulation, German Development Cooperation contributed to the drafting of a decree aimed at strengthening its implementation by entities within the sector. This support is key to ensuring that the measure does not remain merely a declaration of principles, but rather has a framework for action that promotes institutional accountability, implementation mechanisms, sectoral coordination, and monitoring tools.
GIZ’s support also made it possible to align this policy with the Ministry’s commitments under the Gender and Climate Change Action Plan. This coordination recognizes that climate action, the energy transition, and the protection of biodiversity require actively incorporating the knowledge, leadership, and perspectives of women and ethnic and rural communities.
Policy Document: Regulations