Women in Mining Nigeria (WIMIN) has said its members are persistently harassed and raped across mining sites in Nasarawa State.
Vowing to fight against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in the state, the national president of the association, Engr. Janet Adeyemi disclosed that 23.1% of women in mining communities experience sexual violence, compared to 18.7% in non-mining communities according to the NDHD, 2020.
She stated this during a two-day policy dialogue with stakeholders in the mining sector in Nasarawa state.
Adeyemi said the problems were worsened by some factors, such as weak regulatory structures, illegal mining operations, and limited access to quality prevention and support services.
Speaking on the theme; “Understanding and Strengthening Collaborative Responses to Combat Sexual And Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in Mining Host Communities” she said the project aimed at strengthening the regulatory structure by advocating for policy reforms and collaborating with stakeholders to enforce protocols for reporting and addressing SGBV.
“Paradoxically, these women’s survival is jeopardized by the very industry they turn to. The Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said 28% of Nigerian women have experienced sexual violence at some point in their lives, and 43.6% of women have experienced some form of violence in their lifetime,” Adeyemi said.
She reiterated the commitment of the organization to the protection of vulnerable groups, particularly women and children who are affected by artisanal mining in the state.
