Sexual violence pervades African mining sector, blocking women's economic gains
A new study of artisanal miners in Ghana documents systemic sexual harassment, coercion, and abuse that keeps women trapped in exploitative work. The findings challenge development programs that overlook workplace safety—a critical oversight for companies and governments targeting female economic empowerment in resource-rich regions.
Originaltitel: Sexual and gender-based violence in artisanal and small-scale mining in Ghana: Implications for African women's socioeconomic empowerment and well-being
<p>This paper examines the complexities of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in Africa, drawing from qualitative interviews with 38 women miners and 9 non-miners in Ghana. Our findings revealed five themes; 1) sex for mining jobs/roles and trading space protection, 2) physical aggression towards women miners during work, 3) sexual exploitations and manipulations, 4) everyday sexual harassment at mine sites: body touching and sexist comments, and 5) emotional/psychological abuse - which underlie women's experiences of SGBV in ASM spaces. These findings have implications for women's empowerment in ASM as discussed in the paper.</p>