The Hindu Business Line : Women protest exploitation by mining lobby

Delegates at the third international conference on women and mining in Visakhapatnam on Friday. Women from 26 countries are participating in the nine-day conference. - K.R. Deepak

Visakhapatnam , Oct. 1

WOMEN activists from 26 countries raised their voice in protest here on Friday against predatory exploitation of mineral resources in different countries, leaving women and children in the ravaged areas particularly vulnerable.

Over 70 delegates from 26 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and the US gathered at the third International Conference on Women and Mining which began here at Hotel Punnami at Rushikonda on Friday.

The nine-day conference is being organised by Samata, an NGO, and mines, minerals & People (mm&P), a national network of mining struggle groups in India.

The tribal dance of Dhimsa marked the inauguration. The theme of the conference is "Defending our lives, demanding our rights.''

Ms Els Van Hoecke from Bolivia traced the history and activities of the international network and its objectives. She spoke in Spanish and it was translated into English and Hindi.

Later, Ms Hoecke told reporters that the problems mainly related to exploitation suffered by women in the mining industry and their displacement. Women were working in inhuman conditions and their work was manual, which was mostly cleaning up after the machines had completed their job. Women were invisible and never taken into consideration. The international network aimed at making women's work visible and getting them their due.

The conference would identify common problems in the next few days and take them to the higher authorities. The problems in mining were also taken up at the World Social Forum in Mumbai and it was the Indians who brought up the issues, she said.

Ms K. Bhanumathi, of the National Secretariat of mm&P, said the conference would try to address the problems faced by women and children in mining, particularly those from indigenous communities, and strengthen their solidarity.

Ms Bhanu Kalluri from Orissa welcomed the gathering. A photo exhibition of mining in interior areas by Mr P. Madhavan was also inaugurated.

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