Gender Inequality, Health and Safety of Women in Small-Scale Mining

Feb 18, 2020 | Gibson Mhaka
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Narrating her life as a female miner, Ms Joyce Mpofu (54), a single mother from Bubi District of Matabeleland North province, shared incidents that threaten her health and safety daily as a woman in the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector.

These vary from intimidation, discrimination, name calling, sexualised talk, display of body parts and the exchange of sexual favours for promotion.

According to Ms Mpofu, a former vegetable vendor, working in the ASM as a woman is challenging.