Changemakers Lab Model 1: Golden Girls Kakamega

Women are hard-working people, but their efforts continue being undermined by baseless cultural norms that favor only men in our society.

Mining for gold provides a solid livelihood for women in Shigodo Village but customary beliefs prohibit women from entering the mines , even on their own land, forcing them to lease the land or leave the precious metal in ground. Women have tried farming but the harvests too little for home consumption, profit and contaminated food when rain falls water from stream flows to their land. Stream is contaminated due to Mercury which is used to sluicing gold. Women have resolved in gold business, good proceeds from the business but it's a dangerous business. Sometimes costly and quite often pegged on hope and perseverance.Women during menstruation are not allowed in the mines it is a sign of bad luck or omen, and are not allowed to work underground they will bring death, disaster and a series of misfortunes to everyone working in that mine. Womens' work is to crush ore manually which exposes them to silica dust after crushing they sluice wash with mercury. They have no protective gear thus why top 3 diseases in the community: silicosis, chronic bronchitis and malaria. 

My Goal : Enhancing gender equity and equality with Artisanal and Small-scale Mining, the sector can spur social transformations to achieve poverty reduction , inclusive growth and sustainable development.

Ways to address the challenges:

- Boost the skills of women artisanal miners. Training women to identify entrepreneurial opportunities that can economically benefit women miners in the artisanal sector.

- Identify decision makers and practitioners to 

recognize and support the beneficial role of women in ASM ( women's ASM earnings are supporting families enhancing status of women, creating new opportunities, and opening doors previously closed to women.

- Challenge gendered norms and practices within mining sites positions of authority over mining operations are held almost exclusively by men, and gendered division of labor and authority makes it difficult for women to access more lucrative positions.

- Tackle the double burden on women-policy makers must confront the extent to which the barriers facing women in mining zones are interwoven with and reinforced by, barriers they face in society more broadly. The unequal