Expressions of the political: an exploration of women’s infra-politics in artisanal mines in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

Abstract

ABSTRACT Through an analysis of women who work in artisanal mining in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, this article demonstrates that women are active agents in natural resource extraction in the region, engaging in daily tactics to maintain work and counter gendered exclusions. This article argues that women’s efforts to benefit from mining capitalism go beyond mere survival to foster expressions of infra-politics, where small everyday acts hold broader political significance. This study analyses women’s ‘politics of the everyday’ in a context of political instability and rural poverty, contributing to a broader understanding of what constitutes ‘the political’.