Maravi

(HERALD) Women get 72 mining claims

Women get 72 mining claims
Business Reporters

GOVERNMENT yesterday handed over 72 mining claims to women in small-scale mining. The recipients who are members of the Harare Women In Mining Association benefited as part of nationwide efforts to empower women and enhance their involvement in the country’s economic resuscitation.

A total of 54 claims were handed over to individuals while the rest went to syndicates who will further distribute them among themselves.

Minister of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development Dr Olivia Muchena said inspite of the presence of empowerment policies, legal and administrative frameworks globally, there is still overwhelming misrepresentation of women in mainstream mining.

"Women own less than 20 percent of all mining concessions in Zimbabwe with only a handful of these concessions being marginally productive.

"Women constitute more than 50 percent of those involved in largely illegal gold panning activity across the country.

"They are also poorly represented at decision making levels in both public and private sector institutions in the mining sector," she said.

Dr Muchena said there is need to remove all threats surrounding the mining sector especially for females.

"The mining sector has generally been regarded with mystification as a sector for the white rich and powerful because mining is associated with very high capital investments, big machinery and underground activities.

"For women the situation is made worse by occupational segregation and lack of access to capital even the most basic tools," she said.

Since its inception in 2007 HWIMA has pegged claims and acquired 231 certificates with an additional 15 claims being pegged for rural women in Guruve as a way of integrating them into the once male dominated mining sector.

The minister said Government had reached an advanced stage in mapping out the rightful administration of the Mining Industry Loan Fund, which will address challenges encountered in the industry.

Some of the challenges include inadequate equipment, difficulty in accessing capital loan facilities, delays in the pegging and processing of certificates, high Environmental Management Agency costs, lack of access to information and limited information.

Speaking at the same occasion Harare Metropolitan Province Governor Dr David Karimanzira hailed strides made by Government towards achieving black empowerment.

"Yours is a huge step not only for yourselves but Zimbabwe at large due to your resilience in venturing into what was once upon a time a male dominated mining venture," he said.

The Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development Mr Gift Chimanikire urged women to desist from corrupt activities that would reduce returns in the mining sector.

Though initially from Harare HWIMA has spread to other areas such as Kadoma, Gweru, Masvingo and Guruve where most of the beneficiaries came from.

Labels: MINING, OLIVIA MUCHENA, WOMEN, WOMEN IN MINING ASSOCIATION (ZIMBABWE)

posted by MrK @ 11:29 PM