Women in Mining... The Indian case. Mary Abraham The Energy and Resources Institute India

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1 Women in Mining.. The Indian case Mary Abraham The Energy and Resources Institute India

2 Status of women in India Female literacy in India is 54% against 76% male literates Sex Ratio is 933 females for 1000 males Only 26 % of the total female population are workers as against 52% males Agriculture employs 71 % of women workforce Agriculture continues to be the main source of employment to men and women in the rural areas employing 25% females and 36% of the total male population

3 Impacts of Mining on Women

4 Shift from traditional economies such as agriculture (women workers are generally in agriculture) or collection of forest produce to a life in mining has led these women with no alternatives and a change in livelihood Women have to travel longer hours for fuel wood and water Men generally get the compensation from the mining companies No recognition is given by mining companies to the religious and spiritual concerns that individuals have to their environment and land

5 Increased workload of women in families due to occupation of men in mining Has an impact on the health and wellbeing of women in these areas Suffer from increased risk of HIV, AIDS and other infections, family violence, rape and prostitution

6 Resettlement /Displacement Resettlement has higher impacts on women Displaced women are rarely employed in mines. Its generally the male members who are eligible for employment in the mining companies. (Though T N Singh Committee in 1967 stipulated that public sector mines and industries should give a job for every family) Displaced women wherever employed are absorbed into the small private un-organised sector & are retrenched very easily

7 Scavengers of mining Women displaced by mining and their livelihoods or migrant women who live in mining areas are self employed in the mines which is mostly illegal. These women face constant harassment from the mining companies, police and politicians The living conditions of women displaced by mining have serious negative impacts on women. Their new settlement often lack water, sanitation facilities, electricity or open space for recreation and are very bad compared to the traditional settlement

8 Rehabilitation also results in degradation of their social customs. Many social evils have emerged such as alcoholism, sexual harassment etc 75 % of the displaced in India are not established, this is a serious issue of concern

9 Mining has serious impacts on Tribal (indigenous) women Maximum impact of mining has been experienced by tribaldalit women as most large scale mining takes place in tribal and forest areas Kumar Singh and RajyaLakshmi, expose the vulnerability of these tribal women and state the evidences of sexual exploitation of tribal women by forest and mining contractors. They also state that the incidence of sexual assaults on tribal women have increased Tribal Women are the most affected by Mining reveals a report on Parej village in Jharkhand It is not the land alone but also the traditional way of life that has been ravaged in Parej and Duru Kasmar by two World Bank-funded "poverty alleviation" projects in the last seven years.. Forest resources are no longer available for sustenance. The springs and other natural water sources have been damaged or are drying up. There is no fodder or water for cattle

10 Women employed in mining Mining is a patriarchal industry and most hostile towards women Women get less employment and less income from mining Women are generally on contract and are employed in head loading, stone breaking, cleaning and other forms of daily wage labour where they are entirely at the mercy of petty contractors and absolutely no work safety or security National Statistics on employment illustrate that the employment of women in open cast mines and above ground works has steadily declined between 1961 to 1991, (while the overall employment of women and women s participation in industrial activity has gone up during this period)

11 Reports also say that the share of women in the total employment in coal mines has declined from 6.3% (1981) to 4.05 % in 1992 Wages to women workers are lower than their male counter parts Data from Ministry of Labour reveals that although average wages of mine workers in open cast and above ground mines increased there is distinct difference in the increase of wages for men and women. Women employed in mines also have to face harassment and humiliation by the male members

12 Women working in mines suffer from several occupational illness such as respiratory problems, silicosis, tuberculosis, leukemia, arthritis to reproductive problems. They work in toxic and hazardous substances without any safety. Large mines employ women only in administrative jobs or menial activities like sweeper, cleaner or attendants in offices Age wise distribution of women workers in mine show that there is corresponding decrease as age of women increases Women at work also have very less safety measures & are susceptible to health hazards.

13 Small scale mining absorbs women as contract or bonded labour under highly exploitative conditions. Women are not allowed paid leave even maternity or health reasons They are exposed to physical & sexual harassment by contractors & miners Mine workers (women) have no help with their children, they cannot take their children to work & hence leave them home.

14 CASE STUDIES IN INDIA

15 GOLD Mining in KOLAR GOLD FIELDS (KGF) KGF is a classic example of closure without any planning. The township is today a haven for all antisocial elements.

16 Condition of women in KGF The women travel hours together to work far meager wages to support their families as most of the men are sick, depressed and idle. There are around widows in in KGF( Reports an NGO - Sunanda ). These women lost their husbands mainly in accidents at work, or died of health problems. Hence they call KGF The creator of widows Women face torture from security guards while they collect mud from the tailing to retrieve minute specks of gold after washing this. Most of the men in the areas now unemployed due to closure are idle and suffering from T B or silicosis or some other diseases. Unemployment has led to the growth of anti social elements Roudism as termed in the local parlance. Kolar is known for these. These Rowdies engage themselves with theft, fights, murder and all sort of anti social activities. Once again this poses added insecurity to the women in the region.

17 Impact of Mining on women in Orissa Studies from Chatisgarh has shown that the number of unwed mothers have increased so has immoral trafficking, AIDs, domestic violence, besides emotional & economic trauma faced by women. In the Chromite mines of Orissa, the women mine workers complained of several heath problems. The regular women are paid only Rs. 10/month for health benefits. Compensation for pregnant women is around , while the contractors pay only Rs These mines being damp any ingestion of chromium causes gastrointestinal bleeding. Tuberculosis and asthma are common ailments. Loss of eyesight is also common, as women are not given any protective gear in these mines-sites.

18 Coal mining in Hazarbagh women are often harassed & assaulted by the coal Mafia and these women are to scared to even to speak about the same. Pantoja 2000, brings out the negative impact on women's social capital from large state-run coal mining operations in particular their access to social networks. He has studied two coal mining areas in Orissa State and the findings reveal that coal mining activities tend to reduce opportunities for women and to increase their levels of dependency and vulnerability. Women in these areas traditionally found work as agricultural workers or earned income from collecting forest produce. In recent years, however, access to the forests has been restricted and the availability of agricultural work has declined, while coal mining has not provided positions seen as suitable for women

19 Uranium mining in Jaduguda, Bihar According to a JOAR survey done in seven villages within a 1-km radial area of the pond, 47 per cent of the women have reported disrupted menstrual cycle, and 18 per cent said they suffered either miscarriages or gave birth to stillborn babies in the last five years. Moreover, nearly all women complained of fatigue, weakness and depression WISE News Communique on May 17, 1996 reports: Nearly every first two or three babies that the women conceive are miscarriages/ stillborn

20 What has been done so far? In India National alliance called Mines, Minerals & People has been established to bring together communities that are fighting the negative impacts of mining projects with focus on gender related problems Under the 5th Schedule of the Indian constitution special protection is granted to scheduled areas which are predominantly occupied by indigenous people. This Judgment is significant considering that most of the mineral reserves in the country are found in these areas. The women and Mining Network in India is a member of the International Network of Women and Mining is the cocoordinating office for Asia-Pacific region This network works towards understanding the status of women in mining and affected by mining, rights of women mine workers, girl child labourers in mines, health problems and hazards of women in mining areas and address these problems

21 TERI in this direction Been involved in studies Investigating impacts of mining in the iron ore mines of Goa Involved in developing tools to track health and well-being in mining region (Specifically) Designed ESPI indicators for mining companies and Govt. Developed QOL tolls to measure Health and Well-being of individuals in the mining Region Developed framework to estimate impact accounts from mining These tools are developed with due weightage to specific issues related to women in this region Designed a framework for Minerals Foundation in the state of Goa

22 Is currently studying the Women's role in decision-making, economy (livelihood opportunities, access to compensation), access to health care, participation in the context of mining Involved in capacity building of women in the mining regions of Goa Has formed Self help Groups for women in these regions and are training them with alternative livelihood opportunities using their skills Planning to have health education using participatory research approaches/participatory action research

23 Recommendations Gender Audits at all mine sites Gender sensitive projects involving women at all stages of the duration making and panchayats of women Ensure that men & women have equal control & access over the resources & benefits from a mine Gender equity at work Equal opportunities to women for employment

24 Ensure improvement on work safety, security and sustainability issues of women workers in mining. Provide alternative livelihood opportunity of all women who are thrown out of their economic activities. Before sanctioning any mining projects, the state should have a long term plan and assessment of the cost benefits of mining projects from the perspectives of labour and livelihoods considering gender equity. Work towards the capacity building of women in these region