Women in Mining: Challenge underground Asanda Benya SWOP, Sociology Dept. Wits University.

Women in Mining: Women in Mining: Challenge undergroundChallenge underground

Asanda BenyaAsanda BenyaSWOP, Sociology Dept. Wits University SWOP, Sociology Dept. Wits University

MethodologyMethodology

1.5 years inside the mines 1.5 years inside the mines Participant observationParticipant observation

- I trained and worked: labourer, - I trained and worked: labourer, pikinini, winchpikinini, winch

- lived with the workers - lived with the workers Challenges and coping mechanisms Challenges and coping mechanisms SubjectivitiesSubjectivities

Women in Mining Women in Mining (WIM)(WIM)BackgroundBackground WIM underground in SA is a new WIM underground in SA is a new

phenomenon phenomenon Britain- Mines Act of 1842, ILO 1935Britain- Mines Act of 1842, ILO 1935 SA-Mineral Act of 1911 and 1991SA-Mineral Act of 1911 and 1991 New policies in SA that reverse New policies in SA that reverse

these prohibitions (1996:H & S, these prohibitions (1996:H & S, 2002: MPRDA , 2002: MPRDA ,

2004: Mining Charter- 10% Women2004: Mining Charter- 10% Women New legislation targets taken New legislation targets taken

seriouslyseriously

Mines have drawn up strategies to Mines have drawn up strategies to help integrate women help integrate women

Pregnancy and sexual harassment Pregnancy and sexual harassment policiespolicies

Learnership and mentorship Learnership and mentorship programmesprogrammes

Built separate change rooms on Built separate change rooms on surfacesurface

Challenges remainChallenges remain

Who are these women Who are these women

Women in mining VS Women at Women in mining VS Women at mining and women for mining mining and women for mining

Age 18-40 (reproductive years)Age 18-40 (reproductive years) Single mothersSingle mothers First full time job (contracts)First full time job (contracts) Unemployment and povertyUnemployment and poverty Financial security and benefitsFinancial security and benefits

What do they doWhat do they do

Attendants (belt, battery, cage)Attendants (belt, battery, cage) Store issuersStore issuers Assistants (MO, SB)Assistants (MO, SB) Equipment helperEquipment helper Winch operator and miners Winch operator and miners No women RDOsNo women RDOs Formal and Informal job allocationsFormal and Informal job allocations

Heat Tolerance Heat Tolerance ScreeningScreening Mandatory for new recruitsMandatory for new recruits Assess heat toleranceAssess heat tolerance Chamber kept at 28Chamber kept at 28˚c wet bulb and

29.5˚c dry bulb Climb 24 times in a minute for 30

minutes Stopping= heat intolerance and

inability to do manual work under hot and humid conditions

People can be eliminated before People can be eliminated before they undergo HTSthey undergo HTS

- weight, illnesses, emotional state- weight, illnesses, emotional state

- initial body temperature (- initial body temperature (↓3737˚c) Women Women

- Pregnancy and breastfeeding, - Pregnancy and breastfeeding,

- menstrual period- menstrual period Completing does not mean passCompleting does not mean pass

- 37.6- 37.6˚c and below is a pass and below is a pass - 37.7˚c and above is a fail - 40˚c is indicative of heat stroke

Introduction Introduction

Working underground is a Working underground is a challenge for womenchallenge for women

Work is unpredictable Work is unpredictable undergroundunderground

Culture of planisaCulture of planisa Women have also come up with Women have also come up with

their own planisa methodstheir own planisa methods

ChallengesChallenges

Getting to workGetting to work Inside the cageInside the cage One piece suitsOne piece suits Start at low ranksStart at low ranks Heat: men v.s women Heat: men v.s women

Challenges Challenges Physically challengingPhysically challenging

Relations that exclude womenRelations that exclude women

Removed spatially from stopeRemoved spatially from stope

Training centre: masculinitiesTraining centre: masculinities

Tacit knowledge not filtering downTacit knowledge not filtering down

Fetch water, and help with easy Fetch water, and help with easy taskstasks

challengeschallenges

Cultural beliefs and discourse of Cultural beliefs and discourse of protection (weak and lazy)protection (weak and lazy)

According to men their place is in According to men their place is in the kitchen not undergroundthe kitchen not underground

Unions not taking gender seriously Unions not taking gender seriously Sexual harassmentSexual harassment Videos: conditions, H & SVideos: conditions, H & S

Coping mechanismsCoping mechanisms

Informal job allocations undergroundInformal job allocations underground Carpet promotions: Sexual favoursCarpet promotions: Sexual favours Exaggerate & emphasize feminine Exaggerate & emphasize feminine

traits- taking care of the family, traits- taking care of the family, menstruation, period painsmenstruation, period pains

They planisa- make a planThey planisa- make a plan– Fraudulent HTS stampsFraudulent HTS stamps– Mtshongolo pillsMtshongolo pills

Use culture and traditions- sotho men Use culture and traditions- sotho men and their cultural obligation to assist and their cultural obligation to assist women. women.

“If you call them Ntate, they’re more likely and willing to help you… The more respect you give the older men, the more they tend to side with you and help you accomplish tasks.

Ethnicity and kin ties- setswana and Ethnicity and kin ties- setswana and from the same villagefrom the same village

“men tend to accept you much quicker and are more willing to assist you if you are of the same ethnic group as them”.

“She has her Tswana brothers here; she doesn’t need us to help her”

Is UnionizationIs Unionization the the solution?solution? Union rivalry (macro)Union rivalry (macro) Gender bias: workplace issues & Gender bias: workplace issues &

alliance (national politics)alliance (national politics) WagesWages Gender solidarity- further victimizationGender solidarity- further victimization Conspiracy of silence: don’t tell Conspiracy of silence: don’t tell

(Rape)(Rape) Few women representativesFew women representatives

UnionizationUnionization

Representation: Shopstewards, Representation: Shopstewards,

- women structures (change house)- women structures (change house)

- organising desks- organising desks

- complaints desk- complaints desk

- powerless- powerless

- legitimacy- legitimacy

- strategic silencing of women’s - strategic silencing of women’s voicesvoices

UnionizationUnionization

Policies: exclusion of women Policies: exclusion of women – Pregnancy: alternative Pregnancy: alternative

employment, financial vulnerabilities employment, financial vulnerabilities – Housing: Obligated to families 1Housing: Obligated to families 1stst – Migration (60km radius)Migration (60km radius)– Sexual harassment Sexual harassment

ConclusionConclusion There are challenges that women face by There are challenges that women face by

virtue of being women: sexual harassment virtue of being women: sexual harassment Unions not the answer for women within Unions not the answer for women within Sexist ideology of domesticitySexist ideology of domesticity Collaborated with employers to further exploit Collaborated with employers to further exploit

women (sexually and socially)women (sexually and socially) Incorporating women is not the solution Incorporating women is not the solution Women continue to be vulnerable and Women continue to be vulnerable and

exploitedexploited Unions have failed, what are the alternatives?Unions have failed, what are the alternatives?