Friday 13 September 2019
HARARE (Mining Index) – MELANIA Chiponda is one of the top, influential women in Zimbabwe’s extractive.
She identifies as an African Ecofeminist who has vast experience, stretching over 15 years working on research and advocacy within the context of the extractives, particularly the mining sector, focusing on women’s human rights.
Women’s right to development is at the core of Melania’s research and advocacy work, which engages with the global extractive sector, from a women’s rights perspective, with a focus on interrogating how the extractives sector can transform the lives of host indigenous groups particularly women.
Melania is a PhD candidate with the Women’s University in Africa with research interests on Rural Electrification and rural women’s access to energy.
Her approach is embedded in feminist participatory methodologies which bring out women’s experiences, stories and struggles, to contribute towards development justice and climate justice for women in Africa.
One of Melania’s key competencies is to use applied research and participatory action research to translate theory into practice.
Melania holds a Master of Science in Development Studies from the Women’s University in Africa, a Bachelor of Science (Hon) degree in Sociology, and Gender Development Studies, and other post-graduate qualifications.
A commitment to gender justice, development justice and climate justice drives Melania to work towards initiatives that seek to restore and strengthen the capacity of women in Africa and creating societal conditions which are favourable to the attainment of their goals and aspirations.
Melania authored, as well as co-authored the following papers and publications:
- Towards Climate and Energy Justice for African Women
- Reforms to Promote Gender and Women’s Involvement and Broad-based Development, Position Paper on Key Mining Reforms in Zimbabwe
- Back to Development – A Call to What Development Can be, Chapter 6
- False Solutions to Climate Change – Chasing Profits while the Planet Burns
- Protecting Community Lands and Natural Resources, Chapter 5.4: Resisting the Feminisation of the Negative Impacts of Mining in Zimbabwe
- Facets of Power, Chapter 9: Holding Ground-Community, Companies and Resistance in Chiadzwa
- Women Stand their Ground Against Big Coal. ENDS//
