Extractives industry and its effects on women in Africa: Gender perspectives from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Over a decade ago, artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) was projected to provide 13 to 20 million jobs worldwide while a further 80-100 million depend on it for their livelihoods. Today, ASM is the primary source of employment for at least 44.75 million people across 80 countries worldwide. While the global consensus has been to formalise ASM to streamline the sector to official sectors contributing to countries’ gross domestic products (GDPs), Africa is lagging in such formalisation. ASM is often perceived in a negative light because it is one of the drivers of environmental degradation and perceived to bring social ills in most mining communities. However, the Africa Mining Vision inspires a different perception and approach to ASM to ensure that it contributes to the formal development of mineral resource-rich countries in Africa.
This report considered ASM in selected African countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Additionally, the report specifically analysed the situation of women in the ASM value chain in Africa and captured the following: a clear understanding of the context surrounding ASM in Africa, the context of Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe in relation to ASM, exposes the challenges impacting the lived realities of women employed as artisanal small-scale miners and residing in and around the mining communities in the focus countries and provides policy and practice recommendations to improve the livelihoods of and well-being of women employed as artisanal smallscale miners and residing in and around mining communities. The methodology used in the Report included both qualitative and quantitative approaches with feminist theories informing the research.
From the data, this report established that if formalised across Africa, ASM could make an immediate impact such as economically empowering women and communities in the region. Women in the ASM sector in Africa played a significant but their roles are overlooked role in the industry. However, despite their significant contributions, women in the ASM sector faced intersecting and multi-layered challenges and vulnerabilities. They often lacked access to resources, including land, finance, and technology, limiting their ability to engage in profitable mining activities. Moreover, they were more susceptible to exploitation, gender-based violence (GBV), and health hazards associated with mining work than their male counterparts. Access to resources is a socio-economic right for women but this right is often violated. Various cases of human rights violations were observed across the five countries.