In an effort to promote women’s rights and empower those impacted by mining in Zimbabwe through regional solidarity, the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) hosted a groundbreaking exchange visit with partners from Nigeria. The 2nd PowerUp Regional Partners Learning Exchange brought together a delegation of Nigerian women human rights activists from the Niger Delta region to learn firsthand about the effects of mining on women in Zimbabwe.
The week-long exchange took was aimed at facilitating regional solidarity, knowledge-sharing, and capacity-building between the Nigerian and Zimbabwean female human rights activists. The first two days saw a workshop being held in Harare with various women drawn from communities where CNRG is implementing the #PowerUp project including Hwange, Sese, Marange, and Penhalonga.
Over the course of the visit, participants were immersed in skill building, experience sharing and cross learning opportunities through a hybrid of activities, which included a tour of Hwange where they had the opportunity to engage directly with women from the mining town. This on-the-ground experience provided the Nigerian women with invaluable insights into the specific challenges and opportunities faced by their Zimbabwean counterparts.
“This exchange is a crucial step in building a strong, collaborative movement for women’s rights in the mining sector,” said Tracy Mutowekuziva, CNRG Programs Manager. “By fostering knowledge exchange and networking between Nigeria and Zimbabwe, we hope to empower women to advocate for their interests and drive meaningful change.”
In addition to the site visits, the program featured interactive sessions designed to encourage the sharing of best practices and the exploration of strategies for movement building. Participants also had the chance to engage in cultural activities that promote cross-cultural understanding of advocacy strategies.
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The exchange visit resulted in increased knowledge and awareness among Nigerian women about the impact of mining on Zimbabwean women, improved advocacy capacity for women’s rights in the mining industry, and the strengthening of networks and collaborative relationships between the two countries.
CNRG and its partners are committed to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the exchange by establishing a platform for continued collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and support among the participants and other stakeholders in Nigeria and Zimbabwe.
This groundbreaking initiative represents a significant step forward in the fight for women’s rights and empowerment in the mining sector, where gender disparities continue exposing women to disproportionate negative impacts. By fostering cross-border cooperation and learning, CNRG is paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable future for all.
The Exchange was for Comic Relief partners and part of the #PowerUp project, which is being implemented by the WoMIN African Alliance, Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre in Nigeria and CNRG in Zimbabwe.
The main goal of the project is to empower grassroots women to take the lead in opposing massive injustice in extractive projects and champion the cause of local communities where mining projects take place.
Over the last three years, the project has supported women’s safe spaces, local advocacy actions, capacity building for women in project locations, local campaign research, and capacity building for staff in partner organizations.
The project is assisting grassroots women organizations in seven project locations across Nigeria and Zimbabwe in articulating their challenges and voicing their interests in connection to large-scale extractivist projects, demanding their right to free, prior, informed and continuous consent. The project also gives women a platform to advocate for a clear vision for development choices.