Women and Extractives

Minerals fetch a lot of money in the international market, mining is lucrative business and is also a source of foreign exchange in countries endowed with natural resources. The discovery of new natural resources in the form of oil and gas also means more incomes for the countries concerned. Women have for many years been part of the extractive sector but largely in the lower rank. Mining due to being labour intensive, has predominantly been a male world. With the dwindling family fortunes, women find themselves increasingly getting into extractive sector. Various challenges exist for women involved in the extractive sector. Top on the list is hard labour. For example, women engaged in extraction of beautification stones use the most basic tools such as hoe, mattock and in some extent use their bare hands making their hands to have cracks. This leaves them with scars and in a lot of pain because their roles are not constrained to the extraction alone but back home they also double up as mothers and provide care roles for their families. In addition to this they are also farmers who till land to produce food for their families.Furthermore , these women have to carry these stones from their homesteads to a common collection point .

Extractive sector has no retirement for the women involved, the dire economic situation and rising costs of living drive women to the sector to eke out a living for their households. In some cases, elderly women are also involved in the extraction despite being frail and the advanced age. Conversation with women engaging in extractives, Members of Woni wa Uamani[1] Women Group in  Muvuti-Machakos county reveal that many of the elderly women in the extractive sector would like to stop the trade but are unable to because they are grandmothers to orphaned children left behind by their deceased sons and daughters.These grandchildren depend on their grandmothers for  basic needs.

Health challenges are also apparent when women engage in extraction. During the extractive process, accidents occur which include sustaining cuts and abrasions, breaking bones, sliding and these increases household health budgets for an already vulnerable group. Additionally, these are women who cannot afford health insurance, as such any form of accident or disability means a source of livelihood disrupted. Additionally, extraction of stones is back breaking for women with many reporting back aches and pain in their legs.

A lot of water is used by women engaged in extracting beautification stones, the terrain in which they operate is water insecurity. This means that they have to spend more buying water to clean stones before selling them. Buying water coupled with exploitation by middle men means that the return on investment for these women is low but have to continue working in order to supplement their meagre incomes.These also lack water tanks thus cannot keep a lot of water for their trade. Additionally members of Woni Women group extract the stones from their own plots of land, this is the same land in which they grow food crops .Extractives destabilises the soil structure making the women to harvest lower yields.

No sector is devoid of middlemen; the extractive sector has middlemen who benefit from the sweat of women in the extractive sector. Middlemen are always like vultures reaping on the sweat of others. The beautification stones are bought cheaply but at exorbitant prices in cities and town. The same are used when constructing swimming pools. However, what goes to the pocket of women engaged in this trade at the primary stage is very little.

The resilience of women is worth celebrating at every moment. The women engaged in extractives in Muvuti –Machakos have initiated a merry go round locally known as chama where members contribute small amount of money and can get a loan when the need arises. These women have also started a catering business where they provide catering services to local events. However, more support is needed as the group keeps growing and the cost of living skyrockets on daily basis.

[1] https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Society---Culture-Website/Woni-wa-Uamani-Women-Group-480283949184686/