From Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki
Women miners in Ebonyi State, under the umbrella of Women in Mining Nigeria (WIMIN), yesterday, have called on the government to provide safety measures that would help their operations.
The women equally said they have been experiencing violence and discrimination from the men in the mining sector and urged the men to see them as mothers, sisters, wives, cousins or relations and not competitors. The women stated this in Abakaliki during their Project Retreat/Review Meeting.
Speaking during the meeting, Ijeoma Bristol, who represented the National President of the association, Janet Adeyemi, lamented that the mining sector has continued to face challenges of land ownership, huge collateral, discrimination, gender-based violence and other issues in the sector.
“Women in mining is focused on gender mainstreaming, women and children are predominantly engaged in working sculptures, machine loaders, backers and service providers. Their major handicap stems from finance for instance, inability to lease or purchase equipment.
“It is hoped that Ebonyi State investment law, which has adopted a World Bank model for consensual and support to women, will actually resolve up to 40 percent of employment opportunities for women, including funding, because without funding, nothing will happen. This will assist women in mining support for empowerment of Ebonyi female participation in the sector. Some of the constraints being faced by women in this sector need to be addressed positively. For instance, land ownership, huge collateral, discrimination, gender-based violence. We must remember that women are involved in economic activity in this and other sectors are our mothers, our sisters, our wives, our cousins or relations.
They are part of the family, they are not outside of us and their education contributes to the overall welfare of the family and the community. They are not competing with the men, their participation should not be considered as competing.
“Research indicates that in Ebonyi State, there are about three women with foreign licenses and possibly four with exploration licenses in the lead and zinc sectors. This may be due to a number of factors, such prejudice against women who seek to improve their finances. This results in their unwillingness to venture into the solid mineral sector. The mineral section is one of the future growing sectors that women should be actively involved in,” she stated.