MUTARE– Centre for Natural Resources Governance (CNRG) has made a clarion call to government to set up a commission of enquiry on the socio-economic impact of women in mining.
This call was made as the world celebrates International Women’s Day, commemorated every year on 8 March, with CNRG saying mining has led to a spike in socio-economic injustice for women in the country.
CNRG also said due to the economic challenges faced in the country women are now facing a deepening inequality in the male dominated sector, with young girls’ vulnerability brutally exposed by a rise in teenage pregnancies.
The human rights organization said “2020 is a defining year for women’s rights and gender activists because it is the year of assessing and taking stock of the progress made since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action signed by 189 governments in 1995.”
It said Zimbabwe as a signatory to the Beijing Declaration which gave rise to the IWD celebrations, should strengthen its gender policy provisions by protecting women in resource rich areas who are subject to direct and structural violence.
“Zimbabwe is one of the member states that signed the Beijing Declaration and has made strides in domesticating the framework by ensuring that the new Constitution of 2013 has gender equality clauses as well as creating a National Gender Policy in 2004.
“However, whilst the policy has made significant progress in addressing domestic violence women in communities affected by mining across the country are experiencing deepening inequality and gender based violence – direct, structural and cultural violence.
“Women in communities hosting natural resources like minerals, timber and wildlife suffer land and water grabbing which renders them unproductive, thereby increasing their vulnerability. With the backing of government and involvement of politicians and security officials, extractive industries violate the rights of women with great impunity.
“As the world commemorates International Women’s Day (IWD2020), CNRG bemoans the dehumanizing treatment of women and calls on the government of Zimbabwe to observe domestic laws and international instruments on the rights of women. Under no circumstances must government pursue an economic project that increases the vulnerability of women.
“Zimbabwe is one of the countries that are implementing the global Sustainable Development Goals that were adopted in 2015, to ensure that by 2030, every person lives a dignified life with access to basic services.
“Whilst the government of Zimbabwe has signed and committed to various progressive human rights frameworks and instruments, women affected by mining need to be capacitated and equipped with knowledge on existing laws and policies,” read part of the statement.
In the statement, CNRG also made a raft of recommendations to government, including calls to avail resources to fight gender inequality reflected in the national budget, hold to account the extractive industries for the gendered impacts of their operations.
There were also recommendations for the decentralization the Zimbabwe Gender Commission to increase its visibility and accessibility, availing of financial resources for women-led income generating projects as well as enforcing gender
“We call on the government of Zimbabwe to set up an independent commission of inquiry to investigate the socio-economic impacts of extractive industries on women in Zimbabwe, Amend the National Gender Policy to address the gendered impacts of extractive industries.
“Ensure efforts to fight gender inequality are reflected in the national budget, ensure extractive industries are held accountable for the gendered impacts of their operations and decentralize the Zimbabwe Gender Commission to increase its visibility and accessibility by those who need it most.
“Avail financial resources to women in areas affected by extractive industries for income generating projects; All extractive industries must come up with gender impact assessments before and during the implementation of their projects and take appropriate remedial actions,” read part of the statement.
