This article examines the capacity of the UN guiding principles on Business and Human Rights (UN Guiding Principles) to address the gendered effects of resource extractive industries, particularly violence against women. After explaining the authors’ feminist textual methodology, the article traces the relationship between the resource extraction industry and violence against women in their workplace, home, and community. The article goes on to examine the ways in which the UN Guiding Principles inadequately address the subject of violence against women and resource extraction. The authors first explore how the text largely neglects women and women’s rights, except where it relates to business in conflict zones. The authors then critique the text’s hierarchical treatment of ‘gender neutral’ human rights treaties over treaties concerning women and other minority group rights. Finally, the authors interpret the norms and dichotomies that arise in the text as gendered binaries. The authors conclude that the “relations of ruling” established in the UN Guiding Principles uphold oppressive social structures and fail to protect women’s rights in resource extraction contexts.