Unlocking freedom: transforming challenges into opportunities with the women miners of Santa Rita
A group of students from the MIT D-Lab class D-Lab: Gender and Development carried out a fieldwork trip in Santa Rita, Colombia to engage directly with women miners of Santa Rita, who work in the artisanal gold mines throughout the region and face gender-based social and economic barriers to development.
The MIT D-Lab works with people around the world to develop and advance collaborative approaches and practical solutions to global poverty challenges. For three years from 2011, Community Jameel supported the launch of the MIT D-Lab Scale-Ups social entrepreneurship fellowship, the Harvest Fuel Initiative, the Practical Impact Alliance, the Scaling Development Ventures conference, and much of D-Lab's research programme.
Bridging academic theory with real-world application
In an inspiring journey that bridges academic theory with real-world application, a dedicated team of students from the MIT D-Lab class D-Lab: Gender and Development embarked on immersive fieldwork in Santa Rita, Colombia. This initiative was not just an academic endeavor; it was a mission to connect, understand, and empower. After a rigorous semester delving deep into gender theory, our objective was clear: to engage directly with the remarkable women miners of Santa Rita, who work in the artisanal gold mines that dot the landscape.
Exploring an intricate web of systemic oppression
Marilyn Frye compares the oppression of women to the situation of a bird in a cage. "A woman can become caught in a bind where, no matter what she chooses to think, say, or do, a bar puts difficulties in her path" (Frye, Oppression). We used Frye's evocative Birdcage Theory as a backdrop to the workshop we offered, in which we explored the intricate web of systemic oppression through the personal narratives of the participants.