Compiled by Nyasha B Dube

Nestled among Zimbabwe’s rich mineral deposits, in the heart of the rural mining community – Zvishavane, the voices of women often go unheard, their stories untold. These women face numerous barriers that hinder their ability to share their experiences and challenges.

After recognizing the transformative power of storytelling, ZELA organized a training of trainers for women in mining who benefited from the Women Can Do It project. The training focused on how they can break down barriers, offering a platform for these women to be heard, understood, and empowered through effective use of the heart-wired storytelling technique.

Storytelling is a fundamental aspect of human communication, connecting people through shared experiences and emotions. For Zvishavane women in mining, storytelling has a chance to offer a means to preserve their culture, pass down wisdom, and advocate for change. It provides a way to voice their struggles, triumphs, and aspirations, fostering empathy and understanding within their communities and beyond.

However, in efforts to tell their stories, women often face multi-faceted barriers. These include limited access to education and digital technology, regulations that impact content distribution, cultural, religious, and societal norms that prioritize male voices, legal factors involving copyrights, as well as environmental factors. Additionally, economic factors such as high data costs often restrict their ability to speak out and seek support for their rights and well-being.

Empowering women in rural mining areas to tell their stories requires a mixed approach. Firstly, providing access to education and digital literacy can equip them with the tools to share their stories on various platforms. Creating safe spaces for storytelling within their communities and implementing mentorship programs can offer support and encouragement. Furthermore, collaborating with local and global organizations can amplify their voices and advocate for the changes they desire.

In that context, the trained trainers from Zvishavane hosted a storytelling training with women in mining, journalists, and women rights activists to share the knowledge they had gained from ZELA. The women in attendance applauded the training for opening their eyes to the possibility of telling their stories beyond local platforms.

“Before this training, I did not know what to do if I wanted to tell my story so I would always share it on the wrong platforms. But now I know I have the right, voice, and power to tell my story as it is,” said one of the women, Molleen Manomano.

Sophia Takuva who shared sentiments on the concepts of storytelling emphasized the importance of confidence in women when they are telling their stories.

“The biggest knock on women telling their stories is the emotional and psychological aspect. Many women have been subjected to situations and environments that killed their confidence and self-esteem. The impacts of that are dire and may take years to reverse,” she said.

The women pledged to continue telling their stories to shape the narrative and inspire their peers.

The power of storytelling lies in the impact it has on shaping perceptions and driving social change. Amplifying the voices of women in rural mining areas creates a ripple effect that challenges stereotypes, promotes gender equality, and fosters sustainable development. It’s through these stories that we can cultivate empathy, inspire action, and foster a more inclusive and equitable society.

About the storytelling initiative

ZELA media and communications officer Batanai Mutasa said the organisation was training women miners on storytelling to fight inequality as an approach towards gender transformative mining sector governance.

“By training women climate and environmental justice activists, journalists, and miners to use storytelling techniques to strengthen powerful narratives in shaping laws & policies, ZELA has the confidence that by sharing their stories, individuals whose lives have been directly affected by environmental challenges can humanize the issues and inspire meaningful action,” he explained.  

“This not only raises awareness but also fosters a genuine sense of empathy and understanding. Thus, as ZELA navigates the complexities of environmental conservation, storytelling serves as a powerful reminder of the transformative potential of communication.”

Mutasa said ZELA is training the women as part of calls for decent work for women which involves opportunities for work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom for people to express their concerns, organize and participate in the decisions that affect their lives and equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and men. Thus, the campaign also seeks to ensure that there is enhancement of women’s confidence and capacity to freely share ideas and perspectives and stand for their own rights.