DRC Women Artisanal for Gender Equality

Two women artisanal gold miners from the Democratic Republic of Congo will be speaking at a series of events in Ottawa during Gender Equality Week about their first-hand experience as gold miners and women leaders in the conflict-affected country.

Kahambu Vaherenie and Moza Zawadi are artisanal gold miners in a remote community in Congo’s north-eastern Ituri Province, paving the way for increased gender equality and women’s rights in the artisanal mining sector. Their visit to Canada is hosted by Canadian non-profit IMPACT.

Funded by Global Affairs Canada, IMPACT has been working closely with women artisanal miners in Ituri—supporting their efforts towards equality and economic empowerment. The community has become the first in Congo to sell conflict-free, traceable, and legal gold on the international market through IMPACT’s Just Gold project.

The women will be sharing their first-hand experiences with public audiences, as well as at a one-day conference aimed at policymakers, mining and tech leaders, and international experts. Our electronics and jewellery—with minerals from mine sites in eastern Congo controlled by armed groups—have been tied to human rights abuses and violence against women.

But we’re increasingly seeing the role Congo’s natural resources can play in peace building, development, and gender equality—supported by consumer demand for ethical and responsible products. IMPACT presents a one-day conference, From Driving Conflict to Building Peace: Empowering Local Transformation of Natural Resources from Tuesday September 25.