Mining that Shines. Contributions to the development of a political agenda for women miners in Bolivia” is the result of a whole process of reflection, analysis and debate in the different organizational instances that bring together women in mining work in Bolivia, which sought to develop a political agenda that lays the foundations for the public policy elaboration for this vital population segment.
This process was promoted by the Qori Suma project, implemented by Solidarity, in partnership with the Cumbre del Sajama and with the Government of the Netherlands’ support.
The presence of women in Bolivian mining has increased significantly in recent years. Many of these women are active in mining cooperatives, another major group executes mining work individually, depending on the type of mining operation or geographical location and, recently, women have been involved in operational tasks in incorporated mining companies. Also, the number of women in mining communities, as co-workers of mining workers or in mining-related services activities, is significant.
These groups’ common feature is their poor public visibility and little recognition of their economic, social, and family contribution in their productive organizations and in the mining community itself. Also, women miners continue to be discriminated in various fields, including labor and are also victims of different forms of violence. Another element to consider is the precarious conditions in which women execute their work, particularly in small-scale artisanal mining and individual mining work.
ACCESS THE PUBLICATION HERE