Meet Josephine Kibondo and Moza Zawadi, two women artisanal gold miners in Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri Province. They share their stories of their life as artisanal miners and, while they say it’s hard work, they rely on the income from artisanal mining to support their families.

Women are an essential part of artisanal mining, taking on roles from panning and processing, to trading goods and services. But their diverse participation and the challenges they face in being recognized as economic actors in the sector are often ignored.

Together with Canada’s Carleton University and Uganda’s Development Research and Social Policy Analysis Centre, IMPACT is exploring women’s livelihoods in the artisanal mining of 3Ts (tin, tantalum, tungsten) and gold within the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. Our collective goal is to improve opportunities for women in the mining sector.

Read more about Women in Artisanal & Small-Scale Mining in Central and East Africa.

Video by Sven Torfinn/IMPACT