"Brazil prosecutors seek $668 million from Vale, BHP for gender violations in reparations", 24 June 2024

...Brazilian prosecutors are requesting mining companies Vale, BHP and their joint venture Samarco pay 3.6 billion reais ($667.73 million) for allegedly committing gender-based violations in the reparations process over a 2015 dam burst.

The new lawsuit comes as Vale and BHP hope to reach a tentative agreement by the end of this month with federal and state authorities to settle reparations over the disaster, with their offer currently standing at 140 billion reais.

The prosecutors claim the companies based reparations paid so far on a “patriarchal family” concept, violating women’s rights, and requested that they also pay each of the affected women 135,000 reais, according to a document seen by Reuters...

Vale and BHP said they have not yet been notified about the new lawsuit. Samarco did not immediately respond to a request for comment...