Video Script

Title: Women Artisanal mining in Ethiopia Commented [LMA1]: Should we say –miners instead of
mining
Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) grant project to improve the economic social and
environmental sustainability of Women Artisanal Miners.

FDRE Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Natural Gas

Women and Youth Affairs Directorate

Ethiopia, naturally endowed with various minerals and resources, is home to about a million of
artisanal and small-scale miners who tirelessly strive in search for gold, gemstone and salt. The
operations are largely unregulated, and miners exploit their time and energy to extract the
minerals.

Artisanal and small scale mining is considered as labor intensive work. Mostly adults and
muscular young men are involved in it. Women’s role has been limited to provision of service Commented [LMA2]: Prefer strong young men rather
such as food, water and shelter in mining areas. than muscular

Formalizing the artisanal mining sector has actually is becoming a trend in Ethiopia and women Commented [LMA3]: Strategy rather than trend
are encouraged to form associations to make them eligible for sharing these invaluable resources.

Sound Bite

Tolosa Shagi,

Ambassador and Former Minister of the FDRE Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Natural Commented [LMA4]: Good to put the date of the
Gas interview if possible --- some data might have changed
since then

Gold has been mostly produced through artisanal mining since long time ago. About six years Commented [LMA5]: I suggest we remove ago
ago, unregulated mining and cross-border illegal trade was accustomed. Due to this, we Commented [LMA6]: Practiced rather than accustomed
couldn’t benefit from the excavated resources. However, government examined this issue and
put proper regulation in place through linking it with the banking system. In this regard, Commented [LMA7]: Suggest to remove this
government added 5% to the global quota in order to control cross-border illegal gold trade. Commented [LMA8]: Suggest to replace the red with
Accordingly, in the most recent three years, we have earned an average of 500 million USD this:- premium on the global gold market price

per year from the regulated trade.

About 300,000 female artisanal miners are thought to be involved throughout the country and
spread out across various gold, gemstone and salt rich sites.

The Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Natural Gas conducted a study on the major needs of
Commented [LMA9]: Replace bid with objective
artisanal and small-scale mining and kick started a project known as Japan Social Development
Fund with the support of Japanese government and the World Bank in a bid to benefit female Commented [LMA10]: ….in the area of community
strengthening , gender, environment protection, business
artisanal miners mainly in the area of health and improving their livelihood. and technical capacity building trainings on mining
techniques including health and sanitation activities
Mrs. Sofiya Mohammed,
Gender Mainstreaming Directorate Director, FDRE Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Commented [LMA11]: Gender & Youth Affairs
Natural Gas

The Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) project is aimed at helping women artisanal
miners live healthy, more productive and independent lives through conducting baseline Commented [LMA12]: Empowered rather than
assessment and organizing capacity building activities for of ASM communities with an independent
emphasis on the socio-economic position of women. It also addresses the social infrastructure Commented [LMA13]: by
issues to improve health and safety issues, including provision of access to potable water,
construction of sanitation facilities and health services, and strengthening the institutional
capacity of gender mainstreaming units at all levels.

The four-year project, which has been under implementation in six regions of Ethiopia namely
Amhara, Oromia, SSNPR, Afar, Benishangul Gumuz and Tigray, operates through a task force Commented [LMA14]: supported by a task force that
that comprises different governmental and non-governmental actors. that was organized from different governmental offices at
woreda level.

The project, during its four years of implementation period, has been monitored and supervised
by higher officials of the FDRE Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Natural Gas. Gender
Mainstreaming Directorate of the FDRE Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Natural Gas is Commented [LMA15]: And Youth Affairs
primarily responsible for the follow up and the smooth implementation of the project and its
specific components. The project focused on three minerals which are gold, gemstone and salt

Various baseline studies were conducted prior to the project implementation which have brought
out issues and challenges faced by women artisanal miners. Some of the issues are related to
their mining techniques and others are related to potable water, water for washing gravels and
water for their personal hygiene and sanitations. In areas like Benishangul Gumuz regional state,
women are forced to drink dirty water from the same river that they use for washing minerals.

Studies further indicated that the absence of toilet facilities in the mining areas is also the cause
of open defecation and contamination of drinking water and ultimately exposes the artisanal
miners for serious water born diseases.

Furthermore, the miners do not earn enough money from their hard labor as they do not have
proper equipment, knowledge and skill to extract and supply their mineral products in the
market.

In order to address the multifaceted problems of female artisanal miners, JSDF project, by hiring
an independent consultant in collaboration with regional and woreda offices organized 21
women artisanal mining groups with 461 members across the targeted six regions of Ethiopia.
The project also worked together with different cooperatives from this regions.

The project has designed strategies that aimed at empowering women and enhance their benefits
and participation in the sector, providing them with gender awareness, business and legal
trainings. Most importantly they have also been provided with theoretical and practical trainings
on efficient, safe and eco-friendly mining techniques & basic geological assessment of gold,
gemstone and salt production. Based on this trainings, manuals are prepared to help women
artisanal miners in their day-to-day activities which can be used to provide future trainings to
ASM. The project also provided the organized women artisanal miners with small grant scheme
to improve their lives. In addition the project built standard toilets and water points for their use.

Project Beneficiaries

Beneficiary 1. Access to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities were built in our
neighborhood and it has changed our living standard
Afar regional state

Beneficiary 2. Previously we used to travel long distance to fetch water from the river,
but now we have access to clean and potable water skim such as this in our locality.
Amhara regional state

Accordingly, water facilities and toilets have been built in almost all sites in the targeted six
regions of Ethiopia and have begun providing services to the artisanal mining communities.

The women now have toilet facilities that they use and hand washbasins where they can wash
their hands. The water points have also started providing services for washing cloths and gold in
their area of extraction.

Capacity building schemes were also given to empower women in terms of gender equality,
behavioral training on water sanitation and hygiene was provided. , business planning and
mineral extraction and beautifying techniques.

Project Beneficiaries

Beneficiary 3. The project has provided us with financial grant to undertake our lapidary
activities smoothly. We have also received trainings on various issues such as lapidary
services and business planning.
Hageriye Asmare, Delanta Woreda, Amhara regional state

For example, well cut and polished gemstone costs more than double of its original value and the
women in Amhara region were provided training on lapidary services.

Small grants amounting to 470,000 USD was also given to 21 women groups in the 6 regions to Commented [LMA16]: Good to mention here the women
help them benefit from the artisanal mining sector in a formal and organized way. The organized from Bero who purchased equipment with the small grant
fund which was filmed too
groups also have saved money out of their own initiation after the business training they
received.

Besides the small grant scheme, in its effort to modernize the ASM mining sector and empower
women artisanal miners, the project has already finalized the purchasing of modern and
environment friendly gold and salt mining equipment to improve their production effectively
and efficiently.

Gemstone and gold mining helps to establish small villages and towns in various places such as
Tsehay Mewucha, in north wollo zone of Amhara and Tigray regional states. Commented [LMA17]: This is out of place too. Good to
move it to the end of the text after ato tewodros interview
Mr. Tewodros Gebregziabher

State Minister, FDRE Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Natural Gas

The Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) project is a pilot project. We have seen some
good signs that we can take it to a scale to other places. Whenever mining projects are
implemented, putting proper infrastructures such as water, sanitation and hygiene skim,
building the capacity of community members involved in the project and establishing
appropriate marketing and supply chain system are some of the lessons that we have learned
from this pilot project.

Access to water is one of the major challenges that hinder women artisanal miners in their day-
to-day working activities. Water is pivotal for miners’ while they are on duty. Besides its
drinking consumption and importance to personal hygiene and sanitations, water is also essential
for washing gravels. Commented [LMA18]: I don’t think, this is a proper place
for this paragraph, I suggest you delete it
In this regard, the JSDF project has constructed WaSH facilities at working sites, including
access to potable water and provision of toilet facilities. Commented [LMA19]: This is also repition which have
been said one or another way
Project Beneficiaries Commented [LMA20]: I suggest to move this under
project beneficiary number 2 since the woman talked more
Beneficiary 4 The project has built water, sanitation and hygiene facilities. It has also on water.
This help with the flow
provided us number of trainings on various social, health and economic issues.

We have gained a lot from this project. Our health conditions have transformed, our income
has improved as compared to the previous times, and our lives have changed to a better
condition. Muna Muhammad, Benishangul Gumuz regional state

Additional to minerals that are already discovered such as gold, there is a hope that Ethiopia is
eminently endowed with mineral resources that are yet to be discovered. Hence, the Ministry of
Mines, Petroleum and Natural Gas is taking the positive achievements of the JSDF project which
have benefited .women and and their and hope to scale it up.
Motuma Mekassa Zeru

Minister, FDRE Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Natural Gas

In order to fully benefit from our mining sector, we have to identify those actors who are
important to the development of the sector. Artisanal miners, constituting a huge share of
Ethiopia’s mining sector, needs to get special attention and support. To this end, all concerned
actors in our Ministry are expected to fully commit to the betterment of the sector in general
and artesian miners in particular. Regional offices are also responsible to support them in
their relative districts. Unless and otherwise, it is difficult to accomplish our national level
target that envisages this sector to constitute 10 % of Ethiopia’s total foreign currency
revenue.

Strengthening artisanal miners is the key to modernize and develop the mining sector in
Ethiopia. If properly regulated, artisanal and small-scale mining is one of the vital tools to
fighting poverty and helping women benefit from mineral sources available in the country.