Abstract
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has expanded rapidly in recent decades, with scholars suggesting increasing feminization of the industry. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Ghana, we examine gendered dimensions of mining, from state officials' claims that mining is “men's work,” to on-site gendered divisions of labor. We then show how gendered extractive practices combine with the material environment (pits, dust, tunnels, etc.) to expose men and women to different health issues. For instance, pit collapse and related injuries and deaths are predominant among men working in underground spaces. By contrast, women 'shankers' are most vulnerable to dust inhalation and related respiratory diseases. We draw from feminist geography to demonstrate that ASGM-related health conditions are unevenly experienced and shaped by gendered divisions of labor and mining materialities.
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