Written by: Sarah Katz-Lavigne
A five-day methodological training workshop was held in Kampala, Uganda, in June/July 2015, bringing together researchers working on two projects: “Uncovering women’s experiences in artisanal and small-scale mining [ASM] in Central and East Africa” (in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, and Rwanda) and Statebuilding and Women’s Livelihoods in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (in Kenya, Mozambique, and Sierra Leone).[1] The workshop, organized in partnership by The Development Research and Social Policy Analysis Center (DRASPAC) in Uganda, and Partnership Africa Canada (PAC) and Carleton University in Canada, brought together academics, researchers, and gender focal points from the six countries; Canada; and the U.S.[2] The diversity of researchers posed some linguistic challenges. All presentations were translated into English or French as well as Kiswahili, Kinyarwanda, Luganda and Runyankore, for the benefit of some of the gender focal points who came from six different artisanal mining sites: two each from DRC, Rwanda and Uganda.
The five-day workshop was organized to introduce the researchers and gender focal points to the research project, provide training on the key concepts and research tools used in the project, and work collaboratively as a group on developing some of those tools. These tools, both quantitative and qualitative, will be implemented in mining communities in the six countries over a multi-year period. The workshop began with research teams and gender focal points from Uganda, the DRC, and Rwanda presenting the results of the initial participant observations carried out at two mining sites in each country. This first round of participant observations took place over 10 days in each site. In the workshop, the oral presentations on the findings from those participant observations helped to build a shared knowledge basis for all participants about the varied economic activities that take place within mining areas, as well as some of the challenges to conducting research in those sites. This information, and the activities that followed, remained at the heart of later discussions on research themes and methodologies.
After the research team presentations, Eileen Alma, Gisèle Eva Côté, Pauline Rankin, and Aisha Ibrahim led a session on Gender, Women’s Economic Empowerment and Artisanal Mining. Helping the workshop participants move towards a shared understanding of the concept of gender was an essential component of the workshop. This session provided an opportunity for the participants to reflect, in groups, on the gender-specific roles occupied by women and men in the ASM sector. The groups were then assigned the activity of pooling their knowledge about women’s other roles and livelihoods (other than ASM) in their specific mining site. They were also asked to list the challenges that women face to their livelihoods, and to describe a typical day for a woman and a man. The groups then reconvened to discuss why the division of labour between women and men matters for understanding ASM. Pauline Rankin then led a discussion on the differences between the categories “women” and “gender”, and how the way that we define these terms is influenced by custom and tradition. The participants were invited to reflect on how gender roles are changing, and what measures might contribute to gender equality.
Next, Jennifer Hinton led a reflection on dynamics in the ASM supply chain, with a focus on authority and what it means. She encouraged participants to recall that people working in the ASM sector are not just at the mine site, but also in the broader community and supply chain. Working in groups on large sheets of paper, the participants physically mapped the location of different activities, buildings, and key landmarks at their mine sites. From this map, the groups began identifying the authority relationships within the site. Each group presented their maps, pinned to the wall for everyone to see, and explained the social and physical functioning of the mine to the rest of the group. This activity highlighted the challenges of physically mapping the intricate production processes and the often-hidden gender and authority dimensions of economic activity in the ASM sector.
On the third day, Professor Aili Tripp presented her past research, published in a book titled Women and Politics in Uganda. Professor Trip had been asked to explain her research journey, the different methods she pursued, and how they fit together. She described the extensive, mixed-methods study that she carried out to answer the research question of why, in the early 1990s, Ugandan women were more active in local and national politics than in any other African country at the time. The session’s ultimate goal was to help investigators from both projects explore the research process and connect the different research activities with the two projects’ broader objectives.
From this point on the workshop began to focus more specifically on research methods. Training on different methods began with Abby Sebina-Zziwa speaking on life histories technique, counselling the participants on how to ensure a successful life history. Blair Rutherford gave the last presentation of the day on ethics in research. The fourth day of the workshop launched the complex process in which the research teams from all the countries conducted an in-depth review of the draft survey instrument. Participants analyzed the wording and framing of questions, discussed and tested the linguistic and cultural translations of the survey questions, and reflected on how the survey design fit with (or not) the other components of the research. After working through the draft surveys, the participants reconvened as a big group on the final day, led by Jennifer Stewart, and shared their extensive comments and feedback. Several presentations took place the last day, including Abby Sebina-Zziwa’s talk about how to prepare for interviews; Jennifer Hinton’s discussion of Selected International Experiences: Efforts to Formalize ASM; and Jennifer Stewart’s explanation of how to upload survey data into Excel and the online data collection system. Throughout days four and five, Jennifer Hinton also worked closely with the gender focal points, all involved in various capacities in ASM, on good mining practice and the importance of knowledge sharing among miners.
The participants worked hard through five intensive days, but there was always time for group meals, friendly discussions, and even a visit to one of Kampala’s local craft markets. The workshop was an opportunity not only for knowledge dissemination and sharing, but also for researchers and gender focal points from different countries to engage in cross-country exchange. The workshop covered many serious topics, but it also had its lighter moments, such as when the group from Burundi sang their anthem to mark the Burundian national day. Video interviews conducted with selected participants during the workshop made it clear that those who attended the sessions in Kampala left with new contacts, a great deal of new information, and renewed enthusiasm for the task ahead.
[1] This research work is being carried out with financial support respectively under the Growth and Economic Opportunities for Women (GrOW) initiative, as well as from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). GrOW is a multi-funder partnership with the UK Government’s Department for International Development, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the International Development Research Centre, Canada. GrOW is funding research in the Great Lakes region of Africa – the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, and Rwanda – while SSHRC funds research in Kenya, Mozambique, and Sierra Leone.
[2] Gender and methodological expertise and training was provided by [Blair Rutherford, Jennifer Hinton, Doris Buss, Pauline Rankin, and Jennifer Stewart from Carleton University; Fred Kisekka‐Ntale, Abby Sebina-Zziwa, and Richard Kibombo from DRASPAC; Gisèle‐Eva Côté from Partnership Africa Canada; Eileen Alma from the Coady International Institute, St. Francis Xavier Institute; and Aisha Fofana Ibrahim from Fourah Bay College at the University of Sierra Leone. Aili Tripp from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and Chantal Niyokindi, of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR)’s Observatory on Human Rights and Gender, also attended the workshop in their capacity as external advisors to the GrOW project.