Tuesday 10 June 2014

10 Reasons Why CSO should invest in facilitating Self Organization of Women in Mining












Ten Reasons Why CSOs should facilitate self Organization of Women in Mining

I once worked with a women's rights organizations for six years. In the first four years, this organization was working on service delivery, providing legal aid, food, shelter, health services etc to women victims of domestic violence. In one project, the organization provided Tsh 50,000 ( about 42 USD at that time)  to 50 women survivors of DV to start small business. After one year, only three women had the said business, 47 women did not continue  for various reasons one of them being domestic violence.

Service delivery have been a strategy for Civil Society organizations in Tanzania for reaching women and particularly women in rural areas. Handing  women food, seeds, clothes, money or paying for their health services and education for their children is a short time fantasy which we cannot afford anymore in the current economy. If you go to a mining community today and ask how you could support women, the fist thing they would ask from you is Capital, in ready Cash, which is  no different from other communities. And this is the reason why CSO should  invest in facilitating women in mining to self organize because:

1. Women in Mining are key player in the sector and not receiver of services and favors
2. Women in mining can  articulate their challenges and solutions: They are women with different life skills, visions and mission. Bringing them together will create a platform of resourcefullness for the women movement in Tanzania
3.Mining activities affects women  and children more than men: From land grabs, sexual violence, health risks and exploitation, women have more reasons to come together and voice their concerns.
4. Mining areas are in remote areas, with few, or no and poor services. Women need to organize so that they re- claim the quality of life which equals the value of their resources.
5. There are few development programs and organizations specifically targeting women in mining sector:  Where are NGOs located in your country?
6: Self organization of women in mining will make  them strong allies of CSO movement in Tanzania:  
7.CSO cannot afford service delivery for long period of time. It is time to organize women so that they   claim their rights from the duty bearers.
8. Mining Sector is a dangerous one. From mining corporations to individuals, women are at  more   risk. The higher the voice, the lower the risk
9. Women in mining movement is a noble cause, its important to join hands
10. Women in mining issues are women's' rights-women's rights are human rights 




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