By Mabinty M. Kamara
As she launched a documentary titled “Amplifying Women’s Voices in Mining Communities”, the Director of Women on Mining and Extractives, (WOME), an advocacy and rights-based Civil Society Organization has called on the government to include women in the decision making process in the mineral sector.
Esther Kandeh said sidelining of women in decision making remains one of the challenges that they continue to face in mining communities.
The study which she said targeted the three mining communities of Kono, Bonthe and Moyamba was aimed at amplifying the voices of women in those settlements around the country and to share their stories for the attention of government and local authorities.
“The study also takes into consideration, women’s status in mining-affected locations, their socio-economic conditions, while living in different communities after being removed from their places of origin Mining has taken away their places of origin, mining has taken away their land and removed livelihood activities from their hands,” she lamented.
In the video documentary presented at the launch of the report on Tuesday 10th August 2021 in Freetown, one Sia Lebbie Saque, from Tankoro narrated her ordeal on how she was relocated from her initial settlement as a result of large-scale mining activities that posed threat to their habitat in Kono.
“I was living happily with my family until the relocation. Things changed just after we were relocated. My husband and I were given Le 200,000 (approximately $20) as compensation for our cash crops. We bought a bag of rice and paid school fees with the remaining money at the time. When the authorities moved us, we were told that monthly livelihood financial support will be given to families but this never happened,” she narrated.
Other women also shared experiences on the challenges they face in their relocated settlements such as difficulty in accessing basic social amenities like pipe-borne water, markets, farmlands and access to school for their children.
However, Madam Kandeh told Politico that they were going to engage the relevant authorities to ensure that the concerns and challenges expressed by the women were addressed. She was of the view that not all silence meant consent and which may likely lead to an outburst.
Speaking at the event, Abu Brima, an advocate for extractive governance and justice said the laws have over the years not provided the enabling environment for women in mining communities to thrive, hence they continue to be victimized and marginalized.
He added that mining activities should be informed by human rights standards. He went on to note that a radical approach should be implemented in managing natural resources. “The revised Mines and Minerals Development Bill is not gender friendly,” he said adding that there is no woman on the Boards created by the law despite contestations.
A representative from the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs called on WOME to engage the ministry more on issues in the report, noting that their doors were always open and are ready to work with them in ensuring a better life for women.
In his Keynote address before he launched the report, Professor Foday Jaward, Minister of the Environment said that the country has many laws bordering on the protection of its citizenry, but that enforcement of those laws has been a challenge.
In addition, he said most of the laws are obsolete but that with the political will, they are currently reviewing the environmental laws in the country to merge the current economic and social trends.
He added that if people were to be relocated from their initial settlement, they should be moved to a much better and safer environment. However, he said even those contracted to do the buildings normally do substandard work.
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