Dutch disease and the resource curse: the progression of views from exchange rates to women’s agency and well-being

• Resource extraction can improve women’s agency, employment, and access to healthcare in mining communities. • The “resource curse” view is being challenged by evidence of localized socio-economic benefits from mining. • Profit-sharing with communities boosts social outcomes, especially when women help decide how funds are spent. • Mining can empower women but also poses health risks; tradeoffs depend on local norms and environmental factors. • Gender-aware policies in mining like training and anti-harassment can foster inclusive, sustainable development. This article provides an overview of the history of economic thought on natural resource extraction, which has long been considered an enclave industry with few benefits for areas beyond the local economy. We focus on more recent scholarship examining the social impacts of natural resource extraction, emphasizing gender-related outcomes and determinants. An important lesson from this scholarship is that it is difficult to discuss sustainable development in its contemporary sense without paying due diligence to the gender dimensions of natural resource extraction. A lesson highlighted is that the “resource curse” view of natural capital may not be as pervasive as previously thought.