ZSM empowers 600 women

ABOUT 600 women countrywide have benefitted from training and education programmes offered by the Zimbabwe School of Mines (ZSM), which aims to increase the participation of women in mining and value addition projects.

ZSM Principal Mr Edwin Gwaze said the institution provides technical training in various fields, including mining engineering, mine geology, mining survey, and metallurgical engineering.

He said ZSM also offers short courses and workshops that target women in mining, such as the fundamentals of mining for women, which targets those in artisanal and small-scale mining.

“The school has trained over 600 women in short courses in mining over the last decade. A total of 255 women were trained in the fundamentals of mining: women in mining course.

“Zimbabwe School of Mines has carried out training outreach throughout the country over the last eight years in areas such as Bubi, Gwanda, Harare, Kadoma, Kwekwe, and Mazowe,” said Mr Gwaze.

According to statistics from the entity, in 2014 Bulawayo had 37 women who participated in women in mining course, in 2015 a total of 40 women from Gwanda participated and in 2017 a total of 55 women from Inyathi benefitted from the training.

A total of 88 women from Bulawayo participated in small-scale mining technology in 2018, while 20 women did principles of mining in 2021 with 15 more women from Filabusi going for advanced certificates in mineral processing.

In 2022 a total of 18 gemstone mining women were trained at ZSM campus, sponsored by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA).

“The graduates were instrumental in the birth of a gemstone mining association, Women in Gemstones Association of Zimbabwe (WIGAZ).

“The women were drawn from different districts in Zimbabwe, such as Hurungwe, Mount Darwin, Chinhoyi, Masvingo, Chiredzi, Chimanimani, Bubi, Mberengwa, and Guruve,” said Mr Gwaze.

“They participated in the first edition of the artisanal and small-scale mining gemstone academy that was convened by ZSM.”

He said the mandate of WIGAZ is in line with the Government’s mantra on value addition and realisation of the full value of the colored stones.

With the growth of the gemstone sector in Zimbabwe, Mr Gwaze said women have seen an opportunity to grow, being part of an organised group, and being beneficiaries of the new opportunities in mining and value addition.

“Key stakeholders such as the Zimbabwe Health Interventions (ZHI) have offered scholarships and bursaries to women who wish to pursue studies in mining-related fields,” he said.

“A total of five girl children are now pursuing a Diploma in Metallurgical Engineering. Such scholarships aim to increase access to education for women and promote gender equality in the mining industry,” he said.

Mr Gwaze said women were increasingly taking the opportunity to participate in mining different minerals in Zimbabwe.

“While the mining sector has traditionally been male-dominated, there has been a notable shift towards greater inclusion and participation of women,” he said.

“Women graduates rose to an all-time high of 35 percent in 2021, compared to the 90s when female graduates constituted less than five percent of the graduating class. Also, in three of the past seven years, the top overall academic performer was female.”

The ZSM women empowerment initiative aligns with the Government’s initiatives, which support equal opportunities. —newsday