As in many other countries worldwide, the empowerment of women is a growing issue of concern in SADC (Annex 6 shows gender approaches in the region). The Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA) outlined clear areas where challenges need to be addressed to enhance the status of women worldwide. The Beijing Decade Review in 2004 noted that a few countries had met their obligations. All SADC countries have ministries responsible for gender issues.
Participation of women in the minerals sector has historically been low compared to that of men. Factors such as the lack of required skills and taboos have contributed to the low participation of women in the sector. On average, the SADC minerals sector draws about five per cent of its labour force from women. The proportion of women in the sector is much higher in ASM when women are carriers of ore, providers of ancillary services and are responsible for marketing output.
Commendable progress has been made on gender issues in the SADC over the last decade.
The September 1997 SADC declaration on Gender and Development included the fol-lowing specific targets on women issues in the region:
• Achieve 30 percent women in decision-making structures by 2005;
• Empower women through access to, and control over, productive resources; and,
• Amend Constitutions accordingly.
The encouragement of women’s participation in mining is one of the objectives of the Af-rican Mining Partnership (AMP). Yet, no concrete and targeted programmes are in place to resolve gender issues in the minerals industry.
Education, training and skill retention are key to the sustainable integration of women as they currently lack the required skills to enter the sector.
Cultural barriers are a prominent source of gender inequality in Southern Africa. Stereo-types are known to block the development process, which further inhibits the attainment of gender equity. Various forms of discrimination have been found to be associated with a negative image of women. Although this situation is not specific to the minerals sector, it is however even more true of traditionally male-dominated sectors such as mining, where the worst forms of discrimination are known to exist.
Women’s empowerment would be best monitored through the establishment of strong specialized associations and institutions. SADC’s continuous support could also be ex-pected by existing women’s organizations such as the African Women in Mining Network, Association of Women in Mining in SADC and the SADC Women in Mining Trust.
Strengthening capacity in Mining Ministries and establishing strong networks will assist with economic empowerment of women in the mining sector. Unfortunately, the SADC Mining Protocol is silent on the participation of women in mining. Issues of gender and women are provided for under general principles in article 2, which states that member States shall promote economic empowerment of the historically disadvantaged in the mining sector.
The weakness of machinery for law enforcement, advocacy and sensitization is noticeable when dealing with issues of protection of girls and women from all forms of violence.
Women in the minerals sector often face forms of violence and are exposed to situations in which they are vulnerable. Other challenges include: cumulative effects of HIV and AIDS; tuberculosis and malaria; food insecurity; low economic productivity; low levels of education; abusive child labour practices; and, increased sexual violence.
Recommendations for harmonization on gender issues
1. Member States should revise Constitutions to include specific provisions for gender equal-ity and equequal-ity enforcement and develop targeted policies to empower women in mining and/or support gender equality in mining policies with appropriate legislation;
2. All countries should apply the 50/50 gender equality principle as a regional goal and annual targets should be set on the number of women to be recruited in senior posi-tions at Ministries of Mines, schools of mines and in mining companies. Attainment of annual targets should be monitored;
3. Member States must develop and implement education programmes to increase women’s access, adaptability in the minerals industry and ensure retention of skilled women in the minerals sector. Training programmes should be extended to include officers in the Ministries of Mines;
4. Member States should introduce communication and sensitization programmes to remove resistance against women empowerment and to remove cultural barriers pre-venting women’s effective participation and contribution to the sector and develop and apply punitive policy measures aimed at discouraging discrimination against women in the minerals sector;
5. Member States should adopt an “Affirmative action” approach to foster the enrol-ment of women in technical and other key disciplines for minerals developenrol-ment in the SADC region;
6. Member States should ensure that existing associations of women in mining are given adequate support, including organizational strengthening and financial resources.
Local chapters of the Women in Mining Forum should be supported through direct funding by States. Member States should facilitate the creation of strong women miner’s networks and link these with rural women groups. Given the importance of the ASM sector in poverty alleviation and the large number of women in the sector, adequate resources should be deployed to support their associations and networks;
7. Member States should address social issues associated with women in mining ef-fectively and involve women in the adoption of minerals policies that tackle human rights issues;
8. Member States should strengthen and/or create national Gender and Women in De-velopment Policies in order to guide empowerment of women in the mining sector.
In the medium term, initiatives similar to the empowerment charters in South Africa, should guide the women empowerment process in the region; and,
9. Member States should develop educational programmes aimed at both increasing men’s sensitivity to women issues and women’s empowerment in all sectors of min-erals development. Support to National Gender Policies needs to be strengthened in member States. Member States should tackle the removal of cultural barriers to women empowerment collectively.
Notes
1 The definition of taxable income is affected by allowed cost deductions from the revenue amount.
2 Although not strictly a tax, mineral royalties are normally governed by the tax authority in administration. Mineral royalties are meant as compensation for the ‘loss’ of the national asset and are therefore different to the fiscal instruments.