11.8.2025
2:54
Faith’s
hands
are
calloused,
her
nails
stained
with
soil
and
ore.
But
when
she
smiles,
there’s
something
golden
about
it,
something
earned.
Each
scar
on
her
fingers
tells
a
story:
not
just
of
digging
for
survival,
but
of
learning,
adapting,
and
rising.
A
few
years
ago,
she
crossed
into
Zimbabwe
from
Mozambique
with
nothing
but
her
youngest
child,
a
small
backpack,
and
the
hope
of
a
better
life.
Today,
she
is
part
of
a
growing
network
of
migrant
women
shaping
the
country’s
mining
economy.
infographic
outlining
migration
patterns
from
the
country
of
origin
to
the
area
of
settlement.
Women
as
Economic
Architects
Across
Zimbabwe’s
artisanal
gold
fields,
stories
like
Faith’s
are
no
longer
rare.
Women,
once
invisible
in
mining,
are
now
taking
their
place
at
the
centre
of
an
industry
long
dominated
by
men.
And
not
just
local
women,
many
have
journeyed
from
across
borders.
In
the
dynamic
mining
corridors
of
Zimbabwe,
from
Penhalonga
to
Mazowe,
a
quiet
revolution
is
reshaping
the
landscape.
It’s
not
led
by
bulldozers
or
corporations,
but
by
women,
with
tools
in
hand,
business
savvy
in
their
minds,
and
community
at
heart,
they
are
building
economies,
networks,
and
futures.
These
women
are
not
passive
participants
in
a
tough
trade.
They
are
pioneers
in
a
regional
transformation,
connecting
communities,
creating
markets,
and
aligning
naturally
with
the
vision
of
a
borderless,
prosperous
Africa.
Women
from
across
Zimbabwe,
Mozambique,
Malawi,
and
Zambia
are
making
strategic
moves
to
mining
centers
not
out
of
desperation,
but
out
of
ambition.
Whether
traveling
internally
or
across
borders,
they
arrive
equipped
with
a
will
to
work,
a
knack
for
trade,
and
a
strong
sense
of
community.
image
visualiser,
showing
women
miners
in
action
Mining
as
a
Launchpad,
Not
a
Destination
Migrant
women
play
their
role
in
Zimbabwe’s
artisanal
and
small-scale
mining
(ASM)
sector.
They
are
miners,
traders,
cooperative
leaders,
safety
advocates,
and
value-chain
entrepreneurs.
With
each
gram
of
gold
they
produce
or
trade,
they
are
investing
in
their
families,
their
communities,
and
the
regional
economy.
Many
of
these
women
are
experienced
market
traders,
farmers,
and
informal
entrepreneurs.
When
economic
pressures
or
climate
shifts
affect
their
home
regions,
they
view
mining
hubs
like
Mazowe
or
Bikita
as
opportunities,
not
just
to
earn,
but
to
grow.
“Mining
offered
me
the
capital
I
needed
to
scale
up
my
business,”
says
Miriam,
a
miner
originally
from
Mozambique.
“I
came
to
dig,
but
I
stayed
to
build.”
Rather
than
being
locked
into
the
mine,
women
are
using
mining
as
a
stepping
stone
into
other
ventures:
poultry,
retail,
construction,
and
cross-border
trade.
It
is
a
deliberate
strategy,
not
a
last
resort.
Mining
by
the
Numbers:
A
Sector
Shaped
by
Women
Zimbabwe’s
ASM
sector
employs
an
estimated
535,000
people.
According
to
the
Zimbabwe
Environmental
Law
Association,
women
represent
between
10%
and
15%
nationally.
In
some
districts
like
Mazowe
or
Penhalonga,
they
make
up
nearly
half
of
the
workforce.
While
official
data
doesn’t
always
capture
migration,
field
evidence
shows
that
migrant
women
form
a
vital
backbone
of
mining
site
economies,
especially
in
high-traffic
gold
zones.
Nowhere
is
this
impact
more
visible
than
at
Jumbo
Mine
in
Mazowe.
Once
a
conventional
gold
field,
the
site
has
transformed
into
a
mini
trading
hub,
largely
due
to
the
work
and
vision
of
women.
showing
women
miners
in
Mazowe
at
work
Migrant
women
miners
and
traders
from
neighboring
countries
have
built
a
thriving,
self-sustaining
local
economy.
They’ve
attracted
tailors,
food
vendors,
mobile
money
agents,
and
tool
suppliers,
many
of
whom
are
also
women.
These
economic
linkages
closely
resemble
the
goals
of
the
African
Continental
Free
Trade
Area
(AfCFTA):
free
movement
of
goods,
services,
and
people,
driven
from
the
ground
up.
“We’ve
created
a
town
around
the
mine,”
says
Chimwala,
a
Malawian
cross-border
trader.
“And
it’s
women
who
keep
it
moving.”
From
Policy
to
Practice:
Women
Leading
Integration
While
many
national
governments
are
still
implementing
continental
frameworks
like
AfCFTA
and
the
AU
Free
Movement
of
Persons
Protocol,
these
women
are
already
practicing
them.
The
Free
Movement
Protocol
encourages
safe,
legal
mobility
for
workers
and
entrepreneurs.
The
AU
Labour
Migration
Strategy
promotes
dignity,
skills-building,
and
inclusion
for
migrants.
The
migrant
women
working
Zimbabwe’s
mining
fields
embody
all
of
this.
They’re
not
waiting
for
formal
platforms,
and
they’re
building
trade
corridors
with
every
exchange,
creating
jobs,
transferring
skills,
and
generating
revenue.
detailing
migration
routes
to
Zimbabwe
Cooperation
Over
Competition:
Women’s
Self-Regulated
Systems
With
little
external
support,
migrant
women
have
developed
cooperative
models
that
manage
risk,
share
resources,
and
enhance
safety.
These
aren’t
aid-dependent
groups,
and
they
are
investor-minded,
self-regulating
teams
that
fund
tools,
childcare,
transport,
and
even
community
defense.
A
group
of
women
who
migrated
from
South
Africa
and
settled
in
Bikita,
Masvingo,
have
formed
a
viable
mining
enterprise
and
are
now
contributing
to
large
platforms
like
the
regional
Alternative
Mining
Indaba.
Some
cooperatives
have
launched
financial
savings
schemes;
others
run
training
sessions
on
mercury
handling,
pricing
negotiations,
and
even
basic
bookkeeping.
Women
also
engage
in
peer-to-peer
mentoring,
helping
newcomers
quickly
get
up
to
speed
with
mining
techniques
and
navigate
local
authorities.
Beyond
Gold:
Investing
in
Future
Generations
The
benefits
aren’t
limited
to
the
women
themselves.
Many
are
channeling
their
earnings
into
education
and
assets
for
their
children.
In
camps
where
women
work,
schools
and
clinics
have
begun
to
emerge,
some
supported
by
mining
income.
“I
used
to
sell
tomatoes
at
a
border
post,”
says
Rose
Phiri,
a
former
trader
turned
miner.
“Now
my
daughter
is
in
college.
That’s
the
power
of
a
little
gold
and
a
lot
of
purpose.”
Several
cooperatives
now
support
after-school
study
groups
and
youth
savings
accounts,
planting
the
seeds
of
generational
economic
mobility.
Women
miners
are
also
opening
the
door
for
younger
generations
to
participate
in
safer,
smarter
ways.
Young
women
and
girls,
who
often
watch
their
mothers
lead
cooperatives,
are
learning
not
only
the
value
of
hard
work
but
also
how
to
run
businesses,
manage
money,
and
make
strategic
decisions.
Some
youth-focused
projects
in
Penhalonga
and
Gwanda
now
include
mentorship
programs
for
daughters
of
miners,
connecting
them
to
STEM
careers,
journalism,
and
financial
literacy.
These
investments
are
shaping
an
empowered,
entrepreneurial
generation.
Strengthening
Systems:
Who’s
Supporting?
Positive
shifts
are
happening
at
multiple
levels.
The
Zimbabwe
Women’s
Microfinance
Bank
now
extends
loans
to
women
in
extractives,
including
migrants.
The
Zimbabwe
School
of
Mines
introduced
outreach
training
for
informal
and
cross-border
workers.
NGOs
and
development
partners
are
launching
safe
mining
toolkits
and
gender-smart
resource
hubs.
Pilot
projects
by
IOM
and
UN
Women
are
exploring
regional
mining
ID
cards
and
legal
aid
clinics.
These
initiatives
align
well
with
the
AU’s
migration
and
trade
policies.
What’s
needed
now
is
further
integration
and
funding
to
scale
up.
gold
Policy
Catch-Up:
Learning
from
the
Ground
While
migrant
women
miners
still
face
hurdles
like
documentation
gaps,
legal
ambiguity,
and
safety
concerns,
they
are
not
defined
by
these.
They
are
already
offering
answers.
Each
challenge
is
met
with
innovation.
These
women
are
not
waiting
for
reform
—
they
are
leading
it.
To
fully
harness
this
movement,
policymakers
must
shift
focus
and
recognize
informal
actors
as
legitimate
economic
participants.
Shamva
South
legislator,
Honourable
Joseph
Mapiki,
who
is
also
a
committee
member
of
the
Parliamentary
Portfolio
Committee
on
Mines,
says
it
is
imperative
for
policymakers
to
enact
laws
that
promote
women
in
mining
and
allow
for
easier
access
to
the
formalization
of
their
work.
Next
Steps:
Formalization
and
Mobility
To
strengthen
the
position
of
migrant
women
in
Zimbabwe’s
mining
sector
and
align
national
efforts
with
African
Union
frameworks,
several
forward-looking
policy
measures
could
be
enacted,
including
domestication
of
the
AU
Protocol
on
Free
Movement
of
Persons,
ensuring
that
migrant
workers,
especially
women
in
informal
sectors
can
legally
live
and
work
across
borders
with
secure
documentation.
This
would
reduce
vulnerability
and
support
regional
integration.
The
introduction
of
simplified
cross-border
work
permits
for
informal
miners
and
traders,
tied
to
cooperatives
or
mining
syndicates,
would
provide
legal
recognition
and
enable
safer,
more
stable
mobility
for
thousands
of
women
who
are
contributing
to
the
economy.
Recognition
and
formalisation
of
women-led
cooperatives
would
help
secure
land
use
rights,
expand
access
to
finance,
and
elevate
their
contributions
in
artisanal
and
small-scale
mining.
Coupled
with
a
gender-inclusive
mining
formalization
strategy,
these
approaches
would
prioritize
legal
literacy,
safety
training,
and
youth
mentorship,
creating
sustainable
livelihoods
across
generations.
Why
Free
Movement
Matters
The
AU
Protocol
on
Free
Movement
of
Persons,
if
fully
adopted
and
implemented
across
Africa,
would
allow
women
miners
and
traders
to
move
legally
and
safely
across
borders
without
fear
of
detention,
deportation,
or
discrimination.
It
would
enable
the
creation
of
regional
IDs,
access
to
services,
and
formal
recognition
of
economic
contributions.
Today,
many
migrant
women
miners
operate
without
formal
documentation,
often
in
legal
grey
areas
where
they
face
harassment,
extortion,
or
barriers
to
accessing
basic
services.
Lack
of
mobility
rights
makes
it
difficult
to
scale
businesses,
attend
regional
training
sessions,
or
formalize
their
activities.
This
undermines
not
only
their
productivity
but
also
the
broader
goals
of
continental
integration.
Implementing
the
AU
Free
Movement
Protocol
would
unlock
access
to
formal
trade
corridors,
cross-border
banking,
cooperative
registration,
and
healthcare.
It
would
also
ease
movement
for
cross-border
traders
who
supply
mining
communities,
allowing
for
greater
economic
diversity
and
resilience.
Some
women-led
organizations
are
already
advocating
for
these
policy
changes.
Regional
forums
and
networks
are
pushing
for
simplified
visa
processes,
recognition
of
informal
worker
contributions,
and
protection
mechanisms
for
mobile
workers,
especially
women.
Free
movement
supports
human
dignity.
For
women
building
economies
across
borders,
it
is
the
foundation
that
makes
everything
else
possible.
Infographic
on
Free
Movement