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Background

The mining sector is a male-dominated sector, where women face discrimination. There is a need to raise awareness that women can work in male-dominated sectors, and to address the needs and problems with a gender equality perspective. Meeting with other women’s organizations to build collaboration, dialog and communication networks is crucial for raising awareness about the issue.

Project Goals

• Fifty-two members of the Association will get trainings on gender equality and law, gender equality and media, gender equality and public space.
• Occupational health and safety, protection of waist and neck trainings will be organized.
• A workshop entitled “Problems Women Face in Workplaces and Possible Solutions” will be organized with various women’s organizations and trade associations in Eskişehir.
• Women working in zinc and lead open mines in Balıkesir Balya will be visited and experience will be shared.
• A short film on the working conditions in mining sector will be made.

Project Results

• As the project became visible, the association attracted more miner women and number of members increased to 103 from 52.
• Project opening meeting was held with the participation of representatives from public, civil society and miner sector and chamber of commerce. In the meeting that created awareness in Eskişehir, a choir consisted of miner women sang songs. At the end of the event paintings drawn by miner women were exhibited.
• Members of the association participated in trainings entitled Gender Equality and Law, Gender Equality and Media, Gender Equality and Public Space, Occupational Health and Safety, Protection of Waist and Neck, Public and Civil Society Cooperation.
• The project raised awareness that professions have no gender.

Testimonials

“When I tell I work in a mine, ‘What do you mean? How can a woman work in a mine?’ they ask. Such jobs are usually known as men’s jobs, but we, as women, can do the same jobs just as good as they can. We exist, we say, despite the challenging conditions. Every job has its difficult and easy aspects. If you asked ‘Housework or a job?’ I would say ‘a job’ for sure!” A Member of the Association

As mining work is about rocks, everybody thought that this is a man’s job and they said that I can’t do it. But I believed in and I succeeded. A Member of the Association

We learned about violence, especially psychological violence. I got stronger. My daughters say that was what we were expecting from you. I’m more confident now. A Member of the Association