This article was first published in the Mail & Guardian
The stark gender inequalities in South Africa, particularly in mining affected communities, are exacerbated by the inadequate mine closure.
There are more than 6 100 abandoned mines, with about 2 322 of those mines being classified as high risk, including coal mines. Because these mines were not properly closed or rehabilitated, they pose significant health risks to nearby communities by polluting the water and land, affecting the possibility of subsistence farming.
According to the International Institute for Sustainable Development , women in mining communities often even experience the negative effects long after a mine has closed and do not benefit equally from opportunities such as employment and community support.
Given that employment in mining is male dominated, women in mining communities are defined by patriarchal gender roles that emphasise women’s work in the domestic sphere — reproductive work, menial labour — undermining their productive and leadership roles.
The lack of adequate gender parity in mining spaces is usually a result of the failure to consult women when negotiating a community’s free, prior and informed consent to develop a mining project, access to land, compensation and royalties, leading to the disempowerment of women.
The aftermath of mining is felt more severely because of lack of representation in consultations related to mining in general as well as the proper closure of a mine.
Women are often left alone with children as the men leave to look for jobs elsewhere. Studies show that women are less likely to migrate because of a strong sense of attachment to place, their reproductive role, and social networks. They are left vulnerable to crimes, including sexual assault.
A mine’s closure also contributes to the collapse of infrastructure and services such as healthcare, education and transport.
Women are usually excluded from employment and development programmes for alternative work aimed at workers who lose their jobs in the mining industry, because they are mostly employed in the informal mining sector.
The closure of mines results in men being laid off and this generally leads to higher incidences of domestic violence and abuse of women and children, adding to the soaring gender-based violence statistics in South Africa.
South Africa has committed to transition from a fossil fuel intensive economy to an equitable and zero-carbon economy. As we shift to the renewable energy sector it is important to look at the transition from a gender lens to ensure that it does not benefit one gender at the expense of others.
Women must take lead in these just transition dialogues and voice their experiences and needs. A report by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, groundWork, the Environmental Monitoring Group, Earthlife Africa and the Centre for Environmental highlights stories of women as active agents of change in the fight for a gender just transition, Their stories also reflect innovative ways to tackle problems caused by abandoned mines or the improper closure of mines.
This indicates that women are capable and ready to work with the government to ensure that mine closures do not have harmful consequences for them and their communities.
According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), women continue to be under-represented when decisions are made that directly affect their lives and well-being. The UNDP has advised that if we are to make progress with gender equality, women must be given opportunities to participate in decision-making processes.
It is important for policymakers to promote and encourage women’s participation in policy development, especially those from mining affected communities.
The inclusion of women’s views is crucial in the just transition dialogue because it can contribute to the development of a framework that reflects and protects women’s interests after a mine has closed.
Concelia Digoro is a candidate attorney at the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER). Tarisai Mugunyani is an attorney at the CER.
