Women in Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining: Economic Survival, Occupational Health Hazards, and Environmental Realities in Rural Tanzania

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 8, August 2026 | pp. 49–56

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/000107

Research Article

Title: Women in Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining: Economic Survival, Occupational Health Hazards, and Environmental Realities in Rural Tanzania

Names of Authors: Aisha Juma¹, Mariama Diallo²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Development Studies, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; ²Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal

Abstract: Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) supports millions across rural East Africa, yet women within this sector are structurally marginalized into low-paying, highly toxic processing tasks like amalgamation. This field-based study examines the socio-economic drivers and acute occupational health profiles of women working in informal gold mining settlements in Geita, Tanzania. Using a participatory action research framework, data was gathered from n = 280 female miners via structured health screenings, environmental hazard mapping, and economic activity logs. Quantitative toxicological evaluations showed chronic mercury exposure levels averaging μ = 4.8 ± 1.2 micrograms per gram in hair samples, far above safe biological limits. Economically, women earned roughly 40.2 ± 6.5% less than male miners per shift despite equivalent labor inputs, as men retained ownership of extraction machinery and ore shafts (t = 7.15, p < 0.0001). Furthermore, sexual harassment and precarious working conditions were universally reported. The study emphasizes the urgent need for formalization policies, mercury-free processing technology access, and cooperative mining rights specifically designated for women miners.

Keywords: Artisanal mining, occupational health, mercury exposure, gender wage gap, informal economy, Tanzania

Manuscript Timeline: Received: 01 April 2026; Revised: 01 July 2026; Accepted: 15 July 2026; Published: 01 August 2026

Citation: Juma, A., & Diallo, M. (2026). Women in Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining: Economic Survival, Occupational Health Hazards, and Environmental Realities in Rural Tanzania. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(8), 49–56.

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