Despite Zimbabwe’s rapidly expanding lithium sector, women remain largely excluded from formal mining jobs, with new research revealing that they make up just 6% of employees at the Kamativi lithium mine in Matabeleland North.
A Gender Impact Assessment of lithium mining conducted by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Organisation shows that out of 418 workers employed at Kamativi Mining Company only 26 are women, highlighting stark gender disparities in one of the country’s fastest-growing industries.
The figures illustrate how women remain largely confined to the margins of Zimbabwe’s mining sector, even as the global demand for lithium — a critical mineral used in electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy technologies — continues to surge.
According to the report, women who are employed at the mine are mostly concentrated in non-technical roles such as laboratories, administration and general services, while men dominate higher-paying technical jobs including blasting, heavy machinery operation and field work.
This division of labour reflects a broader pattern in large-scale mining operations where women are rarely found in core production roles.
The study notes that these technical positions often attract higher wages and benefits because they are classified as skilled and risk-intensive work.
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Women, on the other hand, are more likely to earn fixed salaries with limited opportunities for bonuses or career progression.
Community members interviewed during the assessment said several factors are keeping women out of formal mining employment.
These include strict qualification requirements, opaque recruitment processes and limited access to technical training.
Researchers found that large corporations often require specialised skills and certifications, narrowing opportunities for local women who may not have access to technical education.
“Licensing requirements and complex recruitment channels are prohibitive,” the report states, adding that the system has effectively excluded many local women and youth from skilled employment.
As formal mining jobs remain out of reach, many women have turned to artisanal and small-scale mining or informal economic activities around mining areas.
These include vending food, washing clothes for miners and selling small goods.
While such activities provide income, they often offer lower earnings and little security.
Survey data in the study found that many women working in artisanal mining perform labour-intensive tasks such as digging, crushing and washing ore, while men typically control pit ownership and mineral sales.
This structure means men capture the most profitable parts of the mining value chain.
The research highlights how the lithium sector is reproducing longstanding gender inequalities within Zimbabwe’s mining industry.
“Across large-scale mines, the gendered division of labour remains pronounced,” the report notes, with women clustered in service roles and men dominating technical positions.
Without targeted interventions such as training programmes and gender-inclusive hiring policies, analysts warn that the lithium boom may continue to benefit men disproportionately.
The report recommends that government and mining companies introduce policies to improve women’s participation in the sector.
These include technical training for women and girls in mining-related fields, transparent recruitment processes, gender-responsive workplace policies and easier access to mining licences for women in artisanal mining.