Gender and women's issues have long been an issue in Tanzania's extractive industry. Due to cultural norms, preconceptions, and discriminatory practices, women are often underrepresented.
ASM mining operations can be physically hard and dangerous, endangering women's health and safety. Women's unique health and safety requirements, such as toilets and pregnancy-related difficulties, go unfulfilled, resulting in increased hazards and limited access to protective measures. sexual harassment, exploitation, and violence against women are common and unreported, both within mining operations and in adjacent communities.
In collaboration with diverse stakeholders, including governments, enterprises, civil society organizations, and communities, ERF executes initiatives that address these gender and women's concerns in the extractive industry. Among the initiatives are the following:-
In the extractive industry, ERF advocates for and promote gender equality, women's empowerment, and the advancement of women's rights. ERF promotes women's participation and leadership at all levels of decision-making, as well as performing gender-responsive impact assessments to better identify and address the sector's specific concerns affecting women. Improvements to miners' ability to improve women's workplace health and safety, such as addressing reproductive health issues and providing adequate protective equipment.
ERF priorities for capacity-building programs are strengthening women's land rights including legal aid in extractive projects. Raising awareness of the sector's readily available grievance mechanisms to access remedy and finally advocating for best practices in responsible business and CSR activities that emphasize gender equality and women's empowerment, particularly for large-scale extractive sector operations.
Resources governance page.
ERF plays a crucial role in addressing the challenges of natural resources governance such as lack of transparency, and inadequate participation of local communities. The engagement includes;
Capacity enhancements, advocacy and Awareness campaigns to promote policies and legal frameworks that ensure equitable access to resources, transparency, and accountability. Social Monitoring and Accountability of activities of governments, corporations, and other stakeholders involved in natural resource extraction. By promoting best practices, advocating for compliance with environmental standards, and promoting responsible business practices.
Capacity Building: CSOs can enhance the capacity of local communities and marginalized groups to actively participate in decision-making processes related to natural resource governance. By providing training, organizing workshops, and facilitating community dialogues, they empower these groups to understand their rights, voice their concerns, and negotiate fair resource-sharing agreements.
Collaborative Partnerships: CSOs can foster partnerships between different stakeholders, including governments, private companies, local communities, and international organizations. By facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues, CSOs can create platforms for constructive engagement, knowledge sharing, and consensus building on natural resource governance issues.
Research and Policy Development: CSOs can conduct research and analysis on various aspects of natural resource governance, including environmental impacts, social and economic implications, and policy alternatives. Their findings can inform evidence-based policy development and contribute to more sustainable and inclusive resource management practices.
Legal Support and Justice: CSOs can provide legal support and advocacy for communities affected by resource extraction activities. They can assist in seeking legal remedies for violations of environmental and human rights, supporting communities in asserting their rights, and ensuring that justice is served.
International Engagement: CSOs can engage with international institutions, organizations, and networks to advocate for improved governance of African natural resources. They can participate in global forums, conferences, and campaigns to raise awareness, share experiences, and seek support for local initiatives.
It is important to note that the effectiveness of civil society's role in natural resource governance depends on a conducive legal and political environment that respects the freedom of association, expression, and participation. Governments should create enabling conditions for civil society to operate independently, without undue restrictions, and ensure their active involvement in decision-making processes.