Why gender matters - Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining ...

How to – Plan and implement
Potential programme areas (Continued)
Empowerment
Education
and training
Economic
Health
HIV
Resettlement
Artisanal and
small scale mining
Women’s empowerment is a bottom up process of transforming gender power relations through
individuals or groups developing awareness of women’s status and building their capacity to
challenge and change the status quo. Programmes might include empowerment through small
business and enterprise development.
Education is an essential tool for achieving equality and development. It is well recognised that
education for girls and women has a flow on effect on development, such as lower child and
maternal mortality, improved environmental management and economic growth. Programmes
may focus on equal access to education for girls and boys and adult literacy equally for women
and men.
Empowerment of women is often linked to economic independence. Projects might involve
improved access to local level employment and small business opportunities and training.
Gender equality in financial services has shown greater business returns, since women have a
better track record of starting successful businesses and repaying loans. Evidence from microcredit
lenders indicates that women have superior repayment records, invest more productively
and are more risk averse. However, care should be taken that women are encouraged and
enabled to establish economic sufficiency that does not exacerbate domestic gender tensions.
Health programmes might include, for example, awareness campaigns about sexually
transmitted infections, including HIV, and health care to raise awareness for women and men.
Due to their disproportionate vulnerability to infection, role as child bearers and primary carers,
paying particular attention to women’s education on HIV, strategies for prevention and treatment
is important. Understanding gender relations, power dynamics and inequalities in any society is
also critical to designing and implementing effective HIV programmes. A whole-of-community
approach, in partnership with government, bi-laterals, multilaterals and/or the non government
sector that goes beyond mine workers should be adopted.
Women and girls with primary domestic responsibilities are most likely to be adversely impacted
by relocation. Programmes may need to take into account, reinstate and/or compensate for
gender specific needs including: continuation of access to resources and livelihood interests;
loss of artisanal and small scale mining opportunities; health and environmental rehabilitation
from small scale mining; education and health service access; and domestic, resource, and
business incentives to resettle.
In many countries, women in artisanal mining are an important part of the affected community,
and because their activities are sometimes considered “illegal”, they often do not benefit from
community development programmes. A specific approach to resolving relations between
artisanal and large scale mining, with a gendered approach, is important.
Two case studies of different approaches to community programmes follow
– the first in Zimbabwe and the second in Western Australia. Both case
studies describe a range of interventions and initiatives, from employment
and education to cross cultural awareness and poverty alleviation.
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