VULNERABLE groups such as women, girls and those with disability are being abused in so many ways in mining communities they live and or work, a local Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has said.
Margaret Chogugudza of Rural Young Women Support Network (RYWSN) said several challenges were being faced, which require urgent amendment of the mining legislation.
"One of the major challenges is violence against women and girls. Given the fact that they are more vulnerable to violence because of their gender, this is something that is critical and that needs to be addressed," Chogugudza said.
Chogugudza made the revelation during an interview with NewZimbabwe.com after attending a Mines and Mining Development Parliamentary Committee oral evidence hearing on the ministry's interventions on empowering these marginalized groups in the mining sector.
She illustrated that this was one reason why women were not keen to participate in mining activities -- for example, extreme violence by the so-called machete gangs.
"Even If you look at our politics in Zimbabwe, you will also see a few women participating because of the nature of the environment which is hostile/ violent.
"Women face a lot of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. They get abused, sometimes drugged so that they can be managed easily. They can be forced into sexual activities whilst drunk without consent leading to unwanted pregnancies or being exposed to sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
"In Mutoko, where granite is being mined, women have spoken about sexual abuse as one of the most disturbing issues affecting them," said Chogugudza.
Another major challenge has been limited access to finance and the health and safety risks.
"The equipment they use is not safe whilst the effects of the mining activities in the communities themselves are harmful to their health; such cases where chemicals are used."
She said water is not always readily available in these communities and this increases the burden of women and girls in terms of unpaid care work-fetching water.
Chogugudza also talked about mining sector being stereotyped to be a male-dominated sector to the extent that even in the Mines and Mineral Act itself, it is actually silent regarding women issues.
She highlighted that most women and girls implicated State security actors as other culprits violating women and girls' rights in mining communities.
"A lot of the women have pointed out violence, even from the security State actors. When running away from protected areas, be it police, the military, girls are mostly victims of violence or sexual abuse.
Also, issues of corporate social responsibility from mining companies. These were not talked about often by the women.
Representation of women during meetings on potential projects needed by communities and is very limited.
"At the end of the day, the decisions that are made do not speak to the needs of of women and girls.
'So, there is a limited voice of women and girls in terms of what they need, and what the mining activities should be like, e g. If you talk of macro level mining, without them participating in those processes.
"There are hindrances in partnering with big companies, even in cases where there is a bit of partnership, the working conditions are not good for the women and girls, worse still those living with disabilities," she explained.
Even access to health care services, in relation to the community challenges is said to be critical and yet access to education is also very critical, especially considering displacements that are taking place countrywide.
Chogugudza revealed that the government was not doing enough at this juncture in as much as there have been some strides.
"Government intervention is still limited due to several reasons, chief amongst them legislation and lack of resources.
"The Mines and Minerals Act was put into place in1960 to 1963, and you can see a lot of changes that have taken place in the extractive sector over time.
"We are talking of decades, and things have changed so the Act is not responding to the needs of this generation, to the needs of the nation and the current situation," she stated.
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In terms of chaos, fights and violence in foreign based mining areas (where foreign companies are located) there have been a lot of reported cases of human rights violations against mining workers in general.
"As an organisation, we have been working on documenting the challenges that young women are facing in the mining communities. One of the challenges has been to engage with foreign mining companies.
"The challenge that you always face is to engage with these mining companies, you rarely see them.
"There is also not really transparency and accountability in terms of what exactly is happening."
She questioned how much communities were getting and the sum the companies were leaving for the country and how much they were channelling towards corporate social responsibilities.
"That is critical. When the Mines and Minerals Act is amended, issues of transparency and accountability, community engagement, the communities have a right to hold mining companies to account through their leaders," she told this publication.
