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The Zimbabwe Association of Women in Mining Associations (ZAWIMA) has welcomed Henrietta Rushwaya’s re-election as President of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF), saying her continued leadership provides women in artisanal and small-scale mining with an important platform for representation, advocacy and participation in the industry, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
In a congratulatory message signed by ZAWIMA chairperson Melody Sharon Juma, the association said Rushwaya’s re-election for another seven-year term, following her endorsement by eight of the country’s ten provinces and being voted for by 180 associations against one, was significant for women miners who continue to navigate challenges around access to finance, equipment, formalisation and recognition within the sector.
ZAWIMA said Rushwaya’s position at the helm of the country’s largest small-scale mining representative body offered an opportunity to sustain the interests of women miners within national mining policy discussions and industry decision-making.
For women operating in a sector historically characterised by limited access to capital, mining equipment, geological information and formal business opportunities, continued representation within the leadership of the ZMF is important in ensuring their concerns remain part of the broader small-scale mining agenda.
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The association said Rushwaya’s engagement with Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR) and her efforts to encourage miners to channel their gold through formal marketing arrangements had contributed to the development of a more structured small-scale mining sector.
Zimbabwe’s small-scale gold deliveries have grown substantially over recent years, rising from 9.35 tonnes in 2020 to 34.9 tonnes in 2025, according to the figures cited in the association’s assessment. The sector has increasingly become the dominant contributor to national gold deliveries, reflecting its growing importance to the country’s mining economy.
By the end of September 2026, small-scale miners had delivered 25,780.1 kilogrammes to FGR, compared with 24,450 kilogrammes during the corresponding period in 2025. Their contribution represented approximately 72 percent of national deliveries of 35,881.6 kilogrammes during the nine months.
ZAWIMA credited Rushwaya’s advocacy and engagement with FGR for helping encourage greater participation in formal gold marketing channels, while pointing to the importance of leadership that understands the operational realities of small-scale miners.
“Your work to transition miners from informal survival to professional, profitable businesses continues to inspire our women,” ZAWIMA said.
The association said it looked forward to strengthening its collaboration with ZMF during Rushwaya’s new term, particularly in advancing opportunities for women in mining and improving their participation in the sector.
For women miners, the significance of the re-election extends beyond continuity in the federation’s leadership. It presents an opportunity to push for greater inclusion in a sector where increased production has not necessarily translated into equal access to mining opportunities, resources and decision-making positions.
ZAWIMA’s challenge will be to translate its engagement with the federation into practical gains for women-owned mining operations, including improved access to finance, equipment, technical training, secure mining tenure and formal markets.
With small-scale miners accounting for the greater share of Zimbabwe’s gold deliveries, their participation in the industry is increasingly important to national production targets and mining investment. Ensuring women benefit from that growth will remain an important measure of the sector’s progress.