A fresh study report by the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) has revealed that women from the area are excluded in the lithium mining which is against the need for communities to fully befit from resources in their areas.
“According to the baseline study, the women from the village are so excluded from mining that they did not even consider it as an employment option. The women wished for their husbands and sons to be employed. When the team visited the mine site, most of those seeking jobs were men and the women were just there selling wares and food,” reads the CNRG report.
The study report exclusively obtained by CNRG Weekly on Wednesday stressed that mining industry in Zimbabwe’s rural areas largely marginalizes women to the extent that they do not consider it a possibility that they can also get employment.
There is a big difference between exploration and mining!
Historically, mining has been a male-dominated sector, leading to gender disparities in employment opportunities and income distribution. This still contributes to gender inequalities, limiting women’s access to economic resources and decision-making power.
Women the lithium rush began in Mberengwa, hundreds of women flocked to Sandawana and for several months they benefitted financially. This stopped when government deployed armed Police to stop artisanal lithium mining. However, the key lesson learnt is that women have strength and can take up mining as a livelihood option.
In order to promote gender equality in the context of critical minerals, CNRG has since time immemorial emphasised that it is important to incorporate women’s environmental, social and economic rights into policies and practices throughout the mineral value chain. The organisation has emphasised that this includes promoting women’s participation and leadership in decision-making processes, ensuring equitable access to employment opportunities (both formal and informal), addressing gender-based violence and discrimination, and recognizing and protecting women’s land rights.
“Government regulations and oversight are essential to ensure that mining operations adhere to environmental and social standards and that the benefits of mining are equitably shared among all stakeholders.”