The
call
follows
a
Gender
Impact
Assessment
by
the
Zimbabwe
Environmental
Law
Organisation
(ZELO),
which
found
that
women
in
mining-affected
areas
are
often
left
without
adequate
compensation
when
they
lose
land
used
for
subsistence
farming.
The
report
examined
the
social,
economic
and
environmental
effects
of
lithium
mining
on
women
working
in
both
large-scale
and
artisanal
mining
operations.
Researchers
studied
two
major
lithium
projects
in
Kamativi
and
Insiza
District,
where
the
Kamativi
Lithium
Mining
Company
and
Zulu
Lithium
Mining
Company
operate.
The
assessment
also
looked
at
artisanal
and
small-scale
mining
activities
in
Insiza
and
Mberengwa.
According
to
the
study,
although
some
mining
companies
have
introduced
relocation
and
compensation
measures
to
address
displacement,
these
interventions
often
fail
to
reflect
the
realities
faced
by
women
who
rely
on
land
for
survival.
“For
many
women,
land
is
their
primary
source
of
food,
income
and
social
security,”
ZELO
said
in
the
report.
“When
they
are
displaced,
they
lose
not
only
their
homes
but
also
their
main
livelihoods.”
The
organisation
said
interviews
with
affected
communities
showed
that
compensation
provided
to
displaced
women
frequently
does
not
reflect
the
true
value
of
the
land
or
the
wider
impact
of
losing
it.
As
a
result,
many
women
are
pushed
into
informal
or
low-paying
jobs,
making
it
harder
to
support
their
families.
ZELO
said
the
findings
point
to
a
broader
pattern
of
economic
marginalisation,
with
women
who
lose
land
experiencing
increased
poverty
and
reduced
access
to
services
such
as
education
and
healthcare.
The
report
also
argues
that
Zimbabwe’s
legal
framework
tends
to
prioritise
mining
rights
over
land
rights,
leaving
rural
communities
vulnerable
when
mining
concessions
are
granted.
“Under
the
current
legal
framework,
mining
rights
are
prioritised
over
land
rights,
meaning
women
can
be
displaced
without
adequate
compensation,”
the
report
said.
It
also
noted
that
very
few
women
hold
mining
claims,
limiting
their
ability
to
benefit
from
mineral
resources
found
on
land
they
previously
used
for
farming.
Nearly
half
of
the
women
interviewed
in
artisanal
mining
areas
said
mining
claims
were
not
available
to
them,
while
about
a
third
said
they
could
access
them
only
in
some
cases.
The
study
also
found
that
families
relocated
from
fertile
agricultural
land
to
more
arid
areas
have
struggled
to
rebuild
their
livelihoods,
with
women
particularly
affected
as
they
lose
the
ability
to
farm.
In
some
communities,
the
disruption
has
also
affected
education,
with
children
travelling
longer
distances
to
school
and
some
dropping
out.
The
report
further
links
environmental
degradation
from
mining
activities
to
increased
burdens
on
women,
who
are
often
responsible
for
collecting
water
and
firewood.
Deforestation
and
water
depletion
linked
to
mining
operations
have
made
these
tasks
more
difficult,
it
said.
ZELO
warned
that
economic
pressures
caused
by
displacement
are
also
forcing
some
women
and
girls
into
risky
survival
strategies.
“Displacement
has
pushed
some
women
and
female
youths
towards
alternative
means
of
survival
such
as
prostitution,”
the
report
said,
adding
that
this
exposes
them
to
exploitation,
violence
and
health
risks.
Boys
are
also
increasingly
leaving
school
to
work
in
artisanal
mining,
attracted
by
the
possibility
of
quick
income
to
support
their
families.
The
organisation
said
the
government
should
introduce
a
clear
compensation
framework
that
reflects
the
real
value
of
lost
land
and
ensures
women
participate
in
negotiations.
It
said
such
a
system
should
align
with
international
standards
and
help
restore
livelihoods
for
communities
affected
by
mining
activities.