Women in the Jewelry Supply Chain: Landscape Review of Barriers to Women’s Economic Empowerment

Authors

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  Ouida Chichester

  Director, Energy, Extractives, Transport, and Industrials, BSR

  

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  Ouida Chichester

  Director, Energy, Extractives, Transport, and Industrials, BSR

  

  San Francisco

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  Ouida leads BSR’s Energy and Extractives practice. She applies her experience in international development to her work at BSR, where she advises global corporations across industries, but particularly extractives companies, on human rights; sustainable communities; inclusive economy; diversity, equity and inclusion; and women’s empowerment.

  She also previously supported BSR's HERproject.

  Prior to joining BSR, Ouida worked with the United Nations Development Programme in Belize, where she developed and contributed to projects on water governance, gender equality, and disability rights. She also has worked at Community Partners International, a nonprofit dedicated to the well-being of the people of Myanmar. Ouida helped build New Global Citizens, an organization dedicated to engaging U.S. youth in global philanthropy and activism. As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador, she worked closely with youth, women, and grassroots organizations. She is fluent in Spanish.

  As a Rotary World Peace Fellow, Ouida obtained an M.A. in International Relations from the Universidad del Salvador. She also holds a B.A. in International Relations from Mount Holyoke College.

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• Jessica Davis Pluess

  Former Manager, BSR

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  Hetal Momaya

  Manager, Global Events, Marketing and Communications, BSR

  

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  Hetal Momaya

  Manager, Global Events, Marketing and Communications, BSR

  

  New York

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  Hetal assists in managing the logistics and content for BSR events, including the annual BSR Conference, which is one of the largest sustainability conferences in the world, attracting more than 1,000 attendees every year.

  She works closely with the industry and focus area teams, in addition to providing support to BSR’s consulting practice.

  Hetal has five years of experience organizing social-impact events. She joins BSR from Asian Women in Business, where she was the program manager of events and membership, responsible for fundraising, event planning, and day-to-day operations. She also has extensive international development experience.  Hetal studied microfinance institutions at the grassroots level in Bangladesh and spent one year in rural India empowering women artisans as an Indicorps Fellow in 2010.

  Hetal holds an M.S. in Global Affairs from NYU and a B.A. in Political Science and International Studies from DePaul University.

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This white paper explores the role of women in the jewelry supply chain and the challenges they face to their well-being and advancement. The study focuses on precious metals (primarily gold), diamonds, and colored gemstones and highlights three key phases: mineral and gemstone extraction, diamond and colored gemstone cutting and polishing, and jewelry manufacturing.

While this paper is not an exhaustive review of all the ways the jewelry industry impacts women, it provides emerging perspectives, analysis, and observations designed to stimulate dialogue and inform ongoing debate.

This paper was prepared for a convening in April 2018 to bring together key stakeholders in the jewelry value chain—from mining companies and manufacturers to retailers and brands—and explore how the jewelry industry can be a positive driver of women’s empowerment and gender equality.

This research was supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and Swarovski.