Democratic Republic of the Congo
A country located in Central Africa that is the size of the whole of Western Europe.
The impression of the Congo, you probably hear the most
Poverty, war, "blood mines", violence.
But in the east of the country,
A group of women are working to change the mindset of men dominating the framework.
Who are they?
They are women in the Congolese mining industry.
Individual women gain an economic and social status that is not inferior to that of elite men,
Some women have established women's mutual aid agencies (RENAFEM),
Of course, most women are desperate to survive.
They have a special name,
"Mother Tawagais".
"Tawagais Mama" cleaning stones in the mine
01/ We survive on an island in the mud
"I wake up at six o'clock every morning and it's two hours to walk to get here."
Nyima Muyanga is one of many female miners,
At the age of 27,
Looks at least ten years older than his actual age.
Female miners in Congo face numerous forms of discrimination and unfair treatment
"The only job I do every day is gravel, but I have no choice: I have to take care of my family."
Smash the quartz stone into powder,
If they find a trace of gold, they will receive £0.90.
Otherwise there is not a penny.
however
Work is never absolutely fair, even if it is a simple condition.
Men always find minerals more easily,
Women may be throwing stones all day long.
In exchange for a pass to more likely find the location of the mineral and enter the mine,
Tavagais's mother often traded her body for a quid pro quo.
Twangaises crushed the quartzite with a heavy hammer, and then they sifted through the resulting powder
"Because I'm a divorced woman, I'm often abused by men."
"Even if I lose a stone, the men will accuse me of being a thief, insult me, or beat me up, because it may contain gold."
Single mum with three children, Vabisa Masog,
It has to take three times as much effort as other women.
But even then, female miners can't have a steady income.
Because the reward only depends on the amount of gold found.
Congolese female miners face countless forms of discrimination and injustice
To make matters worse,
The longer the working time, the more quartz powder is inhaled,
And this will lead to tuberculosis.
Many women are dying of inhalation of quartz dust,
Even death.
Poor working conditions for mining workers
02/ Clinging to the life-saving straw
The two Congolese wars have just ended,
More and more women are joining the Artisanal Mining Sector (AMS).
One is because of the recession that has swept through the eastern provinces,
The second is the lack of opportunities for rural communities in traditional sectors such as agriculture.
No initial cost, personal skills or educational background,
In fact
The opportunities that AMS offers to women are unique.
Congo's "gold rush" is on the rise
gravel, selection, washing of minerals,
Dividing mineral sieves into dust, waste disposal and mineral sales,
Their work is no different from the "assembly line".
At best, female miners earn only £2.70 a day.
What concept?
1 pound is about equal to 8 yuan,
Harsh working environment, extreme exhaustion all day,
Swap back 22 pieces.
And they have to pay for admission and raise children.
As a result of Rubaya's mining activities, Dushimana Josee bought a house and sent her children to school.
03/ Obstacle and long struggle
The National Network of Women in Mining (RENAFEM) has helped thousands of women achieve autonomous choice,
But congo is a jungle,
Impunity, mismanagement and injustice prevail,
"If you don't have the money, your voice won't be heard."
In Goma, there are only two asphalt roads, and everything else is volcanic soil
In the eyes of the locals, it is an unfortunate thing to be a woman.
Nilasaf is the only exception in the family,
Influenced by local culture,
Her sisters were only concerned with procreation and marriage.
She didn't want to get married before she finished her studies.
"A lot of times, it's the women themselves who feel inferior to men.
Men, on the other hand, take this illusory sense of superiority for granted. ”
Today, Nirazaf has become involved in Congolese politics and speaks out for women.
Angelique Nilasafari is committed to the protection of women in the Masisi region
no economic rights,
It is the root cause of their discrimination.
And long-term culture and traditions have also created various constraints on female miners.
Many mine men do not allow women to enter,
Because they believe
Once the female appears, the mineral disappears.
As long as the social system at the top remains unchanged,
Women remain the biggest victims.
Murekatete Beatrice was born into a poor family, but her status has improved due to the mining industry
numbness. At the end of the working day, the two women rested. One of them was holding a plastic bag filled with coltan
"Women carry a heavy burden. They are responsible for their families because the men are unemployed. (Wabungar George)
"My dream is to marry a rich man, but God doesn't want me to do that. It gave me a tough life. (Murray Carter)
At the end of each working day, female miners from Valengu gather to sing a hymn about themselves, their lives and their daily battles
If you want to learn more about women's work in congolese mining
See: "Link"
http://womeninmining.it/EN#wim-focus-preview-11