In Pictures

In a small DRC mining town, women unite for change

View of the mining site of Kamituga, a mining town 180km from South Kivu capital Bukavu. Since the liberalisation of the mining exploitation pursued by former President Mobutu in 1982 and, most import — View of Kamituga, a mining town 180km from South Kivu capital Bukavu. Kamituga is located on the gold belt that stretches up to the heart of the neighbouring Maniema province. [Ines Della Valle/Al Jazeera]

Kamituga, Democratic Republic of the Congo – The mining town of Kamituga is located in an area with vast mineral resources estimated to be worth $24 trillion in untapped deposits, but despite this Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has one of the lowest levels of GDP per capita in the world.

In eastern DRC women are leading a revolution that is helping not only to change the image of this central African country, but also that of the artisanal mining sector (AMS) that provides livelihoods to large numbers of people.

According to the mining code first drafted in 2002 and amended on March 9, 2018, artisanal mining activity is “every activity where a person from Congolese nationality performs either the excavation or concentration of mineral resources, using artisanal tools, methods and procedures, within an area characterised by a limited size and a depth that can’t be over thirty metres”.

So far, artisanal mining has previously been known for corruption and child labour.

However, since 2006, women have started to unite in associations and a decade later have built a tight-knit network known by the French acronym of RENAFEM (National Network of Women in Mining).

“In Congo being a woman is the greatest challenge,” says Angelique Nyirasafari, a mineral trader operating in the Masisi territory of the North Kivu province and a member of RENAFEM. “Women have been discriminated [against] for so long that they started to believe they are inferior to the men, and that’s why men feel legitimised to behave as if they were really superior.”

Thanks to RENAFEM, many women have gained some awareness of their legal and reproductive rights.

Nevertheless, the journey Congolese women must undertake to gain equal rights in the sector still has far to go.

In order for women’s social growth to rise at the same pace as economic growth so their lives can experience a tangible improvement, institutions must intervene, Nyirasafari says.

“Congo is a jungle, where impunity, bad administration and injustice are very widespread,” she claims. “Justice is part of the transaction and those who don’t have money don’t get to be listened to.”

Twice a day, kasomba women walk up the steep slopes that take to Kamituga''s quarries, carrying baskets full of quartz stones on their backs. Each of these baskets weights 25kg and every time they deli — Twice a day, Kasomba women walk up the steep slopes to Kamituga's quarries, carrying baskets full of quartz stones on their backs. Each of these baskets weights 25kg and each time they deliver the stones to the crushing site, they receive $1.50. [Ines Della Valle/Al Jazeera]

In Walungu, which is located mid-way between Kamituga and Bukavu, most of the mining workers are women. During the day, they all work in the same area but they are split into groups according to their — In Walungu, most of the workers are women. During the day, they work in the same area but they are split into groups according to their tasks. If some wash and select the stones, others are responsible for crushing them. Given the scarcity of men, few women are allowed to dig alongside their husbands. [Ines Della Valle/Al Jazeera]

Usually, women are prevented from digging underground due to some old discriminatory superstitions. Hence, since they can''t deal directly with the most valuable stones, their income is much lower than — Women are not usually allowed to dig underground due to superstitions so they don't have access to the most valuable stones. They are left with sorting through small stones, previously discarded by the male diggers, in order to decide whether they contain traces of cassiterite or whether it is worth paying other women to crush them. [Ines Della Valle/Al Jazeera]

In Walungu women miners extract mainly cassiterite (tungsten). They spend over eight hours per day choosing, washing and crushing the stones, to find some fragments of that precious mineral. — In Walungu, women miners extract mainly cassiterite. They spend over eight hours per day choosing, washing and crushing the stones looking for fragments of the precious mineral. [Ines Della Valle/Al Jazeera]

View of the area around Numbi. The mining sites are located on the hilltops and they are only reachable by motorbikes during the dry season driving on the steep muddy paths that overlook the surroundi — The mining sites around Numbi are located on the hilltops and they are only reachable by motorbikes during the dry season. Together with cassiterite, the extraction and sale of tourmaline is what the village economy relies upon. [Ines Della Valle/Al Jazeera]

Numbi is popular for the extraction of tourmaline, such as a gemstone subjected to intense smuggling between the two eastern provinces of South and North Kivu, as it escapes all forms of traceability. — Numbi mines extract tourmaline, a gemstone smuggled between the two eastern provinces of South and North Kivu. Tourmaline escapes policies aimed at tracking minerals' supply chains to prevent the import of resources linked to conflicts. [Ines Della Valle/Al Jazeera]

Kamituga mining site consists in one of the largest gold reserves in South Kivu and comprises of ten quarries. In this image, the hands of Emilienne Intongwa, such as the owner of a small pit, where m — The ten quarries of the Kamituga mining site comprise the largest gold reserves in South Kivu. Emilienne Intongwa, the owner of a small pit in Kamituga where men and women work together, holds a small stone of quartz, which shows hues of gold. [Ines Della Valle/Al Jazeera]

In Kamituga the mama twangaises represent the lowest layer of the extraction chain, such as the “stone crushers”. If, after smashing the quartz stone into very fine dust, women find some trace of gold — In Kamituga, the 'twangaises' represent the lowest layer in the extraction chain, such as the 'stone crushers'. If, after crushing quartz stone into very fine dust, women find some trace of gold, they earn up to $1. If they don't find any gold, they won't get anything. [Ines Della Valle/Al Jazeera]

Kamituga gold mining site. A woman is sifting the quartz powder previously crushed by either the grinding machines or the mama twangaises. It takes several hands to obtain the fine powder, which will — A woman sifts quartz powder from twangaises. It takes several hands to obtain the fine powder, which will be later burnt with acid to extract some saleable fragments of gold. [Ines Della Valle/Al Jazeera]

Numbi. At the end of their working day, women take some rest on the surrounding meadows and observe the quantity and quality of the stones – in this case containing cassiterite - they collected. Miner — Women inspect the quality of some stones found. Minerals will be first sold to small traders and then passed on to larger ones who will sell them to either the transformation firms or the mining companies directly. [Ines Della Valle/Al Jazeera]

Hospital of Kamituga. Due to the prolonged inhalation of the quartz dust, many twangaises contract tuberculosis. Sometimes they suffer of both TB and AIDS, because they are either forced to prostitute — Due to the prolonged inhalation of quartz dust, many twangaises contract tuberculosis and other lung illnesses. [Ines Della Valle/Al Jazeera]

Nyabibwe is popular for the extraction of both coltan and cassiterite, such as the minerals on which the worldwide electronics industry relies upon. Despite the difficulties, this town was at the fore — Nyabibwe is a mine which extracts both coltan and cassiterite, minerals the global electronics industry relies upon. Despite many difficulties, this town was at the forefront of implementing traceability policies aimed at tracking minerals' supply chains. [Ines Della Valle/Al Jazeera]

The first part of Kamituga mining site looks like a small crumbling village, where hundred shacks - turned into shops, restaurants or workshops - are squeezed against each other. Although by law child — The entry to the Kamituga mining site looks like a small crumbling village with hundreds of shacks transformed into shops, restaurants and workshops. Although it is illegal for children to enter the sites, it is common to see them working beside adults. [Ines Della Valle/Al Jazeera]

View of the hills that surround Kamituga. This mountain town is located on the gold belt that stretches up to the heart of neighboring Maniema province. Gold mining is the backbone of the economy of K — Gold mining is the backbone of the economy of Kamituga and employs most of the local population, with women covering some of the hardest tasks. [Ines Della Valle/Al Jazeera]

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In a small DRC mining town, women unite for change