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Article

29 Oct 2014

Author:
Betty Akol, in New Vision (Uganda)

Uganda: Columnist highlights how women's rights are negatively impacted in oil sector

"Oil: Women’s rights in oil sector go beyond land rights" 28 October 2014

 

...[I]n the oil and gas industry, any agency (government, oil companies, and private contractors) interested in carrying out oil related activities is consulting only men. She makes a strong remark that if gender roles are not addressed, women and children will not benefit from the oil opportunities…Worldwide in extractives, less than 10% of women are employed in the formal sector. Yet in artisan and small scale mining, it is women who are doing the labour intensive work which fetches little revenue. The argument put forward is that, women do not usually have the know-how to work in the oil and gas industry, thus, the pauperisation of the women folk by the seemingly harsh and male dominated economic sphere...Women are also the first victims of environmental pollution; they are the first to suffer from chemical pollution related disease like cancers. They walk for hours looking for water, firewood and food for their families. When oil and gas pollutes the local environment, women often have had to go the extra mile to gather water and find food. In trying to achieve this, however, women and girls often have less time for other activities – such as schooling...The involvement of women will not only leverage their untapped potential in increasing growth, reducing poverty and fostering positive conditions for sustainable development, but can also contribute to improving the development effectiveness of oil, gas and mining operations for communities and countries as a whole.