Women in Africa’s mining industry: A documentary by Aïssatou Fofana
A Togolese woman from the mining industry. Screenshot taken from the video ”African women working in the mining industry on the L’écologiste Infos YouTube channel.
Mining is generally considered a gendered and male-dominated profession. However, many African women now work in this fast-growing industry.
Africa is the world’s most mineral-rich continent. More than 50 percent of the world’s minerals are found in the African subsoils. These resources attract the attention of international mining giants looking to expand into countries where mining is a significant part of the economy.
Aïssatou Fofana, an Ivorian environmental journalist, follows the story of several African women working in this industry as part of her first film documentary. This documentary presents the situation in Côte d'Ivoire and Togo. Rather than succumbing to clichés and preconceived ideas in a field often seen as only for men, the women Aïssatou Fofana interviewed and filmed shared their unique experiences.
In a WhatsApp interview with Global Voices, the filmmaker talks about her experience and reasons for pursuing these women’s stories.
Jean Sovon (JS): Why did you make a documentary on women’s involvement in Africa’s mining industry? How did you become aware of this situation?
Aïssatou Fofana (AF): I made this documentary for an African Union Media Fellowship Programme project. We had to complete our project on one of the various topics proposed under this fellowship. This project could be a documentary, a news article, a radio program, or a podcast….
I chose women working in this industry as we don’t hear much about them in the media, even though they contribute to their country’s socio-economic development. That’s why I focused on this topic in Côte d’Ivoire and Togo.
In the first part of this documentary, women from Côte d’Ivoire’s mining industry talk about their day-to-day work:
JS: What specific challenges do women face in this profession? How are they perceived by their male colleagues and the general public?
AF: The first challenge that springs to mind is the ability to progress in a male-dominated industry. You can appreciate that it is difficult to progress in such an industry, especially when most men have a “traditional” or “patriarchal” vision of women in society, where a woman’s place is in the kitchen or at home, looking after her husband and children. This vision creates friction for women starting a new venture.
The second challenge involves their family. If she is married and has children, she must strike a balance and make arrangements to ensure her work doesn’t interfere with her family life. Having an understanding and open-minded partner makes all the difference in these circumstances! Otherwise, it’s another problem she’ll have to deal with daily.
Limited information exists on this industry, especially on the women working in it, which sparked my interest in this topic. I wanted to make a documentary that sheds some light on what they do, their circumstances, how they deal with these challenges, and how they build careers in this so-called male industry.
JS: What exactly do women do in this industry? Are they engineers or miners?
AF: The women I interviewed in this documentary occupy various positions in their respective mining companies, depending on their areas of expertise. At Côte d’Ivoire’s La Société des Mines d’Ity (Ity Mining Company), Laetitia Gadegbeku Ouattara is Endeavour Mining’s country manager; Carine Kouko is a senior production geologist; Kadidiatou Diarra is a junior exploration geologist, and Marthe Bertine Yavo is a camp and travel manager.
Regarding the women in Togo, Rosine Atafeinam Abalo is a Doctor of Geology and Geotechnics and an investment manager for Togo Invest. Dotse Akouavi Jeannette and Aladouadjo Belam both drive heavy-duty machinery known as dumpers.
In the second part of this documentary, the Togolese women Aïssatou Fofana interviewed tell their stories and the obstacles they had to overcome to break into the mining field and find professional success:
JS: Why do they do this kind of work? Is it better paid than other professions?
AF: During my interviews, these women never mentioned that this was a better-paid profession than others or one that they wanted to do to be rich and have lots of money. They were drawn to this industry and wanted to build a career in it. This motivation and passion influenced their decision, and they did everything possible to get into this industry and progress. So, it wasn’t for financial reasons.
I really couldn’t say whether this industry is better paid than others as I didn’t look at it from this angle. I didn’t even ask that question. What interests me is their career path, the challenges they encountered, how they overcame them, and how they continue progressing in this industry despite their problems.
They never mentioned that this was a poorly paid profession. That said, I can assure you that they are happy with their career choices.
JS: Are the mines where these women work national, foreign, or illegal? Do the women have their own unions?
AF: The mining sites I visited are legally registered. La Société des Mines d'Ity has been in operation since 1991. The Ivorian government is a 10 percent shareholder, la Société des Mines 5 percent, and Endeavour Mining 85 percent. Women also have their own associations. In Côte d’Ivoire, national associations like the Mining Sector Women’s Network ( FEMICI) and He For She Mines Côte d’Ivoire exist. La Société des Mines d’Ity has the Association des Femmes des Mines d'Ity (Association of the Women Miners of Ity or AFEMI). In Togo, there is the national Association des Femmes du Secteur Minier ou en Entreprise du Togo (Association of the Women Miners and Entrepreneurs of Togo or AFEMET), of which Rosine Atafeinam Abalo, one of the women I interviewed, is president.
In Africa, there is the Association of Women in Mining in Africa (AWIMA), a network of national organizations and associations of African women in the mining, oil, and gas industries.
Internationally, the WIN100 Awards reward 100 pioneering women who bring about significant positive changes to ensure the mining industry operates in a responsible, sustainable, and inclusive manner.
JS: What are the companies’ environmental policies?
AF: The mining sites I visited in Côte d'Ivoire and Togo are legally registered and have entry guidelines. For example, La Société des Mines d'Ity has an environmental and sustainable development component in its management policies. We also planted some trees while filming this documentary.
In this rapidly evolving and increasingly internationalized industry, African women are taking their rightful place on equal footing with men.Categories
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