It is that time of the year...no, of every five years when we get to see and hear all kind of promises. Even though i live in this part of the country where most "progressed" people have named it with every sophisticated, names such as remote area, rural, peripheral of the rural, marginalized areas, etc, we get to pay few shillings to watch news on back and white TV. Because it is the time when politicians come to us and tell us all sort of lies on how they will help us upgrade our mining technology, how easily we will be accessing mining tools, how they will make available funds for women miners, how we will sell our gold and diamond and Tanzanite in China, America and London, how we will get to travel to those big cities, flashing out our gemstone and we will surely have someone buy all of them from us. What a lie!
It is that time when they actually, not only promise how they will "help" us, but also promise how the mining economy will change the country. They say that revenues from the mining will benefit our country. They have these numbers of shillings in their heads but when you ask them how will this translate into my life... the answer is remarkably stupid (sorry for the S bomb). As a woman miner, i do not only ask where does this money go, but i also ask how am i protected from billion effects of mining. I do not only ask how do i benefit from oil and gas extracted from my area, but i also ask how does this extraction affect me as a woman. These are kind of question we really need to ask at this time of the year.
Test for their political will from beginning, test for their integrity, test for their knowledge, test for their understanding. And more importantly, test how much they value women and understand women issues, how women and gender are priority, how will they go beyond numbers and put up lies which they can be easily get away with. This is that time when we can easily call all the shots and get away with it. Do not throw it away...
Tuesday 4 August 2015
Wednesday 25 March 2015
Changing Our Name... Defining our Brand...Keep Connected!
Hello,
We are Currently in the process of changing our name and defining our brand. we will be known as Women in Extractives instead of Women in Women. This is done purposely so as to build a network of diverse groups, by bringing in more voices from different backgrounds. The name "Women in Extractives Tanzania" is more inclusive, with a space to share broad ideas on extractive industry including petroleum and mining.
We however understand that the previous name Women in Mining Tanzania is important brand where women from mining communities could associate with, it restricts women from other regions who are facing negative impacts of extractives to engage and present their voice.
We will soon launch our website with the brand, register our movement with relevant authority and bring in diverse voices from diverse background.
Keep connected and support our movement
We are Currently in the process of changing our name and defining our brand. we will be known as Women in Extractives instead of Women in Women. This is done purposely so as to build a network of diverse groups, by bringing in more voices from different backgrounds. The name "Women in Extractives Tanzania" is more inclusive, with a space to share broad ideas on extractive industry including petroleum and mining.
We however understand that the previous name Women in Mining Tanzania is important brand where women from mining communities could associate with, it restricts women from other regions who are facing negative impacts of extractives to engage and present their voice.
We will soon launch our website with the brand, register our movement with relevant authority and bring in diverse voices from diverse background.
Keep connected and support our movement
Tuesday 20 January 2015
Oil and Gas Impacts on Gender- The Missed Point
It is very common now days that when you flip on newspaper pages, listen to the radio, watch TV or read an article online you find information on how oil and gas are useful resources in transforming the country's economy. It is also very common to find that these debates and discussions provide a reader with hopes that the sector will provide employment opportunities, contribute to the availability of reliable electricity supply, enhance women's lives by providing cooking gas and the list may go on. These prospects a often does not cover the gender impacts of the sector such as lost of livelihoods in which women depend due to the land acquisition processes, environmental impacts which affect rural communities, spread of HIV/AIDS due to population influx, violence against women, and so forth.
These discussions are missing women's participation in the sector, and how gas development may have a possible impacts on gender in the Tanzanian context. Natural Gas Policy of 2013 provides that "The Government provides equal opportunities to all citizens of the country. However, most of such opportunities are usually dominated by men. Active participation of female in the natural gas industry is thus encouraged. Natural gas industry development is likely to have different impacts on women, men, children and vulnerable groups. The use of natural gas for cooking in households relieves female from wasting time searching for firewood and indirectly improves health due to better kitchen environment that is free from smoke and soot."
From this point, although the GoT understand that there is inequality in terms of accessing opportunities, still it gives women the position in the kitchen by making cooking gas available for women Also in this policy, the government is "Encouraging" women participation in the sector instead of Empowering women to participate, the same strategy that is still used in the mining sector.
The natural gas impacts on gender may not be mitigated by providing cooking gas for women, instead specific mitigation strategies should be in place to ensure that women are benefiting equally like their male counterparts while reducing possible negative impacts on women. Specific measures to ensure that women are accessing training opportunities that will enable them to engage in the sector, as well as ensure a mandatory women space both in the policy making processes and administrative arena should be a serious priority.
Oil and gas companies while adhering to gender needs, should go beyond counting number of women and men employee, but rather look at the specific issues and challenges that face women in and around the company. This should look at the women participation and benefiting during the compensation processes, the availability of resources within the companies between women and men, set the code of conduct to their employees on how they should treat women in and outside work, adhering to environmental standards that otherwise would affect women and provide information on health issues that may affect women as a a result of their work
CSOs in Tanzania, which is mainly consist of few elites discussing the same prospects of oil and gas to Tanzania economy is lacking consistency and women representation. Although women movement in Tanzania is said to be strong, there is either lack of knowledge or will to engage in the sector so as to amplify voices and working with others to "get it right" from the beginning. The CSOs space in extractive as wide as it is, may be also closed for women to participate, and this is not only number of women who are participating but women organizations presenting gender issues within the sector.
These discussions are missing women's participation in the sector, and how gas development may have a possible impacts on gender in the Tanzanian context. Natural Gas Policy of 2013 provides that "The Government provides equal opportunities to all citizens of the country. However, most of such opportunities are usually dominated by men. Active participation of female in the natural gas industry is thus encouraged. Natural gas industry development is likely to have different impacts on women, men, children and vulnerable groups. The use of natural gas for cooking in households relieves female from wasting time searching for firewood and indirectly improves health due to better kitchen environment that is free from smoke and soot."
From this point, although the GoT understand that there is inequality in terms of accessing opportunities, still it gives women the position in the kitchen by making cooking gas available for women Also in this policy, the government is "Encouraging" women participation in the sector instead of Empowering women to participate, the same strategy that is still used in the mining sector.
The natural gas impacts on gender may not be mitigated by providing cooking gas for women, instead specific mitigation strategies should be in place to ensure that women are benefiting equally like their male counterparts while reducing possible negative impacts on women. Specific measures to ensure that women are accessing training opportunities that will enable them to engage in the sector, as well as ensure a mandatory women space both in the policy making processes and administrative arena should be a serious priority.
Oil and gas companies while adhering to gender needs, should go beyond counting number of women and men employee, but rather look at the specific issues and challenges that face women in and around the company. This should look at the women participation and benefiting during the compensation processes, the availability of resources within the companies between women and men, set the code of conduct to their employees on how they should treat women in and outside work, adhering to environmental standards that otherwise would affect women and provide information on health issues that may affect women as a a result of their work
CSOs in Tanzania, which is mainly consist of few elites discussing the same prospects of oil and gas to Tanzania economy is lacking consistency and women representation. Although women movement in Tanzania is said to be strong, there is either lack of knowledge or will to engage in the sector so as to amplify voices and working with others to "get it right" from the beginning. The CSOs space in extractive as wide as it is, may be also closed for women to participate, and this is not only number of women who are participating but women organizations presenting gender issues within the sector.
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