Empowering Women in Tanzania’s Mining Industry

Biteko: Government Strengthens Women’s Role in Mining Industry

DAR ES SALAAM, MARCH 3, 2025 – The Tanzanian government has intensified its efforts to promote the economic empowerment of women through increased participation in sustainable mining.

At a special symposium in Dar es Salaam ahead of International Women’s Day, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Dr. Doto Biteko, highlighted the growing involvement of women in the mining sector, marking a shift from its historically male-dominated landscape.

Dr. Biteko revealed that, according to the 2022 population census, the mining sector in Tanzania currently employs over 6 million people across the entire extraction value chain. Of these, 3,094,647 individuals, representing 51.3 percent, work in small-scale mining. Notably, around 1.5 million of these small-scale miners, or 27 percent, are women.

The Deputy Prime Minister praised President Samia Suluhu Hassan for her leadership in championing women’s participation in mining. He pointed to various capacity-building programs, the provision of soft loans, and the offering of essential equipment as key drivers of this progress, alongside efforts to include women in decision-making processes.

Highlighting the importance of women in the extractive sector, Dr. Biteko emphasized their critical role in expanding the mineral value chain and contributing to the nation’s economic development.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the extractive sector created 218,353 direct jobs in the 2020/2021 financial year, with 176,815 of these jobs held by men and 41,538 by women.

The government’s approach includes legislative reforms, such as the National Gender and Women Development Policy of 2023 and the Mining Act of 2017, which prioritize Local Content Criteria, ensuring that Tanzanians, including women, gain greater benefits from the country’s mining sector.

Dr. Biteko also noted the government’s investment in the academic empowerment of women in the mining industry. Through the Mining Commission and the Tanzania Women Miners Association (TAWOMA), women are receiving local and international training. In 2023, for instance, five women were sent to China for specialized marketing training.

Additionally, the government has allocated 10 billion Tanzanian shillings to support small-scale women miners, with two out of ten recently procured drilling machines earmarked for their use through TAWOMA.

The Deputy Prime Minister also underlined the importance of fostering public-private partnerships to further increase women’s participation in the extractive industry.

Minister for Minerals, Mr. Antony Mavunde, expressed his gratitude to the symposium organizers for showcasing the significant contributions of women in mining and national development. He reiterated the government’s commitment to continuing support for women in the sector, praising the reforms introduced by President Samia, including the Mining Act of 2017, which has paved the way for greater female involvement in both extraction and value addition.

Ms. Mwanaidi Ali Khamis, Deputy Minister for Community Development, Gender, Women, and Special Groups, also lauded President Samia for establishing a dedicated ministry to advance women’s empowerment across all sectors, including mining.

International Women’s Day, set to be observed worldwide on March 8, will provide an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women like those contributing to Tanzania’s growing mining sector.