Insights from the ZAMI Session on Gender and Extractives

Since 2014 I have had the privilege to attend the Zimbabwe Alternative Mining Indaba (ZAMI), a platform for the often excluded and marginalized host mining communities and civil society to engage government and mining companies on pertinent issues in the mining sector. Every year mining companies and government meet at a Mining Indaba to discuss pertinent issues in the mining sector. I also had the privilege to attend the Mining Indaba 2016. This gathering is usually far from the reach of host mining communities and civil society as the costs for registration and travel are too high for many. There is an annual African Mining Indaba held in Cape Town for investors and African governments to speak about mining and minerals development. I also had the privilege to attend the 2016 African Mining Indaba.

For the past five years Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA), Zimbabwe Council of Churches and Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development have created and hosted an alternative space the ZAMI and this year the ZAMI was held under the theme “Mining Sector Reforms: A call for Economic Justice and the Environment.” After attending the 2014 ZAMI session, it was apparent that there was the lack of a robust and coordinated integration of gender analysis and women's rights within mining sector in the ZAMI discourse. In 2015 the ZAMI had its inaugural first Session on Gender and Extractive Industries to highlight the ways in which women are excluded in this increasingly important sector, in their participation in the sector itself, and in their ability to benefit from the labour they contribute.

The session identified key issues facing women in the mining sector, and probed participants to provide innovative suggestions to law and policy makers to promote gender equality in line with the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

 The 2015 ZAMI Session on Gender and Extractive Industries declared that;

      Mining companies’ community development plans must incorporate ways of addressing differential impacts of mining on men and women.  For instance mining companies have the corporate responsibility to respect sexual, reproductive and health rights of women (SRHR) in the communities they operate in and must therefore put in place measures to address the negative impacts of their mining activities on SRHR of women.

      The state must protect the rights of both women and men in mining communities including strengthen delivery of gender responsive services e.g. health centres to cater for women’s SRHR, education, access to justice including access to adequate housing and social services should be provided for women and families in relocation areas.

In 2016 there was a more nuanced discussion on the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill. The 2016 Session on Gender and Extractive Industries declared that the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill must incorporate provisions on;

      Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) compelling mining companies and the government to enter into negotiations with host mining communities before taking away their communal land and women must have a seat at the table when the decision to extract is being made.  

      Local content development stating clear preference for employment of local people, skills and technology transfer programs including local enterprise development commitments.

      Gender Impact Assessments to be conducted prior to commencement of mining operations with an assessment of the financial ability of the mining company to meet obligations to reduce/remedy negative gendered impacts of mining e.g. financial capacity to rehabilitate the environment.

My observations are that the ZAMI Session on Gender and Extractive Industries by its existence is a loud statement that the needs and status of women and girls can no longer be accorded low priority in the mining sector. In fact the Session re-affirms the need to foster attitudes and get unwavering support for power-holders in this sector to answer to women for failure to ensure respect of women’s rights. The Session is a galvanization of women’s agency for a more proactive approach to women’s economic empowerment through sustainable and responsible mining, far removed from extractivism plunder currently perpetuated by the existing mining law regime. I certainly hope that the Session on Gender and Extractive Industries becomes a permanent feature of all ZAMIs. In fact it is my hope that the both the national Mining Indaba and regional African Mining Indaba also captures the urgent need to advance women’s rights, voice and power in the mining sector. Indeed it must be understood that the Session on Gender and Extractive Industries does not preclude the need for more women presenters, speakers, panellists, moderators, discussants and facilitators, not just in but across the Mining Indabas’ agendas.