Gendered Vulnerabilities and Financial Vulnerability Indicators Among Women Artisan Gold Miners in Burkina Faso

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 9, August 2026 | pp. 233–240

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001277

Article Type: Original Research Article

Title: Gendered Vulnerabilities and Financial Vulnerability Indicators Among Women Artisan Gold Miners in Burkina Faso

Names of Authors: Dr. Fatouma B. Sanou¹, Prof. Moussa L. Ouédraogo²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Institut des Sciences de la Société, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; ²Département de Sociologie, Université Norbert Zongo, Koudougou, Burkina Faso

Abstract:
The artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector in Burkina Faso is a vital source of income but operates under extreme precarity. This study analyzes the gendered divisions of labor, chemical exposure risks, and financial exploitation experienced by female artisanal miners (or orpailleuses) in the Southwestern region. Using a cross-sectional occupational health framework, data were gathered from 380 female workers across five mining camps. The laboratory diagnostics show that women exhibit dangerous hair and blood concentrations of mercury and lead due to manual ore-crushing practices performed without personal protective equipment (p < 0.05). The socio-economic tracking reveals that traditional patriarchal cartels restrict women from direct mine-shaft ownership, relegating them instead to lower-paid processing roles. Quantitative regression models show that female miners earn 65% less weekly income than male peers for identical hours of physical labor. The thematic narratives show that financial dependency forces women to accept predatory credit lines from mineral buyers, trapping them in endless debt cycles. Furthermore, local security architectures ignore gender-based violence inside mining camps. The study argues that mining formalization programs fail because they are designed for male ownership structures. We recommend establishing women-only mining cooperatives, distributing low-cost mercury-free processing tools, and launching mobile clinical screening hubs at all major ASGM sites.

Keywords: Artisanal Mining, Mercury Exposure, Gender Division of Labor, Financial Exploitation, Cooperatives, Burkina Faso

Manuscript Timeline: Received: January 14, 2026; Revised: April 11, 2026; Accepted: May 20, 2026; Published: August 31, 2026.

Citation: Sanou, F. B., & Ouédraogo, M. L. (2026). Gendered Vulnerabilities and Financial Vulnerability Indicators Among Women Artisan Gold Miners in Burkina Faso. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(9), 233–240. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001277

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