Tanzania moves women miners From margins toward ownership, production, investment and mineral wealth creation

GEITA: The Government has continued to create an enabling environment for women to participate fully in the mineral value chain, ranging from exploration, mining, processing, trading and value addition to the provision of services at mining sites.

This commitment places women at the centre of Tanzania’s efforts to ensure that the country’s mineral wealth creates wider economic opportunities. Rather than limiting women’s involvement to participation in mining activities, the Government says it wants to see more women become mine owners, producers, traders, investors and competitive service providers.

The message was delivered by the Deputy Minister for Minerals, Dr. Steven Kiruswa, during the 2026 Mining Queens Awards Ceremony held recently in Geita Region.

The event also highlighted the role of the State Mining Corporation (STAMICO) in facilitating the Mining Queens Awards Night and supporting efforts to empower women miners to participate more fully in the exploitation and development of mineral resources.

According to Dr. Kiruswa, the Government’s approach goes beyond simply increasing the number of mining licences issued to citizens. The broader objective is to ensure that licences translate into productive mining operations, growing businesses, employment opportunities and income for wananchi.

This distinction is important because holding a mining licence does not automatically guarantee a successful mining operation. Women and other small-scale miners also require appropriate technology, business knowledge, access to markets, capital, safety awareness and the ability to manage mining activities sustainably.

Dr. Kiruswa said the Government’s decision to set aside mining areas and issue licences to women is intended to help move women from being ordinary participants in the sector to becoming owners of mining operations, producers, traders and investors.

The progress is already visible in Geita Region. Dr. Kiruswa said 714 women have joined different groups and received small-scale mining licences.

The development represents an important opportunity for women to take a more direct role in the ownership and development of mineral resources. It also demonstrates how access to mining areas and formal licences can create a pathway for women to participate in the mineral economy.

However, Dr. Kiruswa stressed that licensing is only one part of the process.

He said the Government is continuing to build the capacity of women and small-scale miners in several areas that are essential for successful and responsible mining. These include technology, business management, occupational health and safety at mining sites, environmental management, value addition and access to markets.

Such support is intended to help women turn mining opportunities into productive and sustainable businesses. Technology, for example, can contribute to more efficient mining operations, while business management skills can help miners plan, manage and grow their enterprises. Safety and environmental knowledge are equally important in ensuring that mining activities do not expose workers or surrounding communities to unnecessary risks.

Dr. Kiruswa urged women who have received mining licences to ensure that their mining areas are properly developed in accordance with the law, regulations and the use of appropriate technology.

He emphasized that mining activities must be conducted safely and sustainably. For women entering or expanding their activities in the sector, this means that the opportunity provided by a licence also comes with the responsibility to operate within the established legal, safety and environmental requirements.

The Government is also looking beyond immediate participation. Through the Mining for a Brighter Tomorrow (MBT) programme and other initiatives, it aims to increase women’s involvement in the ownership and development of mineral resources.

Dr. Kiruswa said the Government would continue working to ensure that women receive appropriate opportunities within the mining sector. The stated ambition is to see women advance from participants to mine owners, large-scale producers, investors, traders and competitive service providers both within Tanzania and beyond the country.

For STAMICO, supporting this transformation remains an important part of its engagement with women in mining.

The Executive Director of the State Mining Corporation, Dr. Venance Mwasse, said STAMICO would continue empowering women to participate fully in the mining sector by providing the knowledge, technology and support required to improve productivity and grow their activities.

As an institution supporting small-scale miners, STAMICO also intends to continue working with the Government and other stakeholders to create a conducive environment for women to develop their mining operations.

Dr. Mwasse said such collaboration would help women increase production and benefit more from opportunities available across the mineral value chain.

The mineral value chain covers several stages and activities, meaning that opportunities for women extend beyond digging for minerals. Women can participate in exploration, extraction, processing, trading, value addition and the provision of services to mining operations. Expanding participation across these areas can create additional opportunities for women to build businesses around the wider mining economy.

Dr. Mwasse also called on other women’s groups in the mining sector to emulate the example of the Tanzania Women Miners Association (TAWOMA), which has played a role in bringing women miners together and promoting their interests.

TAWOMA, in turn, has acknowledged the importance of Government and institutional support in opening more opportunities for women.

The Chairperson of TAWOMA, Semeni Malale, thanked the Government, through the Ministry of Minerals, as well as STAMICO, for the measures taken to empower women to own and operate mining activities.

She said the initiatives have continued to open opportunities and increase women’s participation in the mining sector.

At the same time, Malale emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation between the Government, STAMICO and TAWOMA so that more women can benefit from opportunities related to mining areas, technology, capital and markets.

These areas remain significant because access to a mining area or licence is only the starting point. For mining activities to grow, women need the practical means to operate their businesses, increase production and connect their products and services to markets.

The partnership between the Government, STAMICO and TAWOMA therefore provides a framework through which women miners can continue seeking greater participation across the mineral value chain.

STAMICO has supported TAWOMA in coordinating the Mining Queens Awards Night for three consecutive years. The awards provide a platform for recognizing women’s participation and achievements in the mining sector while drawing attention to the opportunities available to women within the industry.

At the 2026 awards ceremony, Asha Msangi was announced the overall winner and crowned Mining Queen 2026.

Her recognition came at a time when the Government, STAMICO and women miners are emphasizing a broader role for women in Tanzania’s mineral economy.

The central message emerging from the event is that empowering women in mining involves more than issuing licences. It requires access to knowledge, technology, safe working conditions, environmental management practices, business skills, capital and markets.

With 714 women in Geita already organized into groups and issued small-scale mining licences, the focus now extends to developing those opportunities into productive and sustainable mining activities.

The Government’s stated objective is therefore to see women move further along the mineral value chain from participants to owners, producers, investors, traders and service providers.

For Tanzania’s women miners, the challenge and opportunity now lie in turning access to mining opportunities into sustainable enterprises that contribute to production, employment and income while operating within the law and protecting workers and the environment.