| Issue/Objective |
While the extractive industries highlight their commitment to community well-being, existing literature demonstrates significant mining-induced ecological degradation and human rights violations. This leads to detrimental consequences for physical, emotional and planetary health, with women experiencing disproportionate impacts. As such, women are leading global resistance movements to advocate for their communities health and well-being. This is exemplified in the under-researched geographical context of the Dominican Republic, with a growing movement of women-led community mobilization, highlighting inclusive leadership in global health. |
| Methodology/Approach |
This research utilized a critical decolonial narrative inquiry to explore the leadership, resiliency and stories of women-led community mobilization to mining-induced health deterioration in the Dominican Republic. Through semi-structured interviews with 10 women over a two-year period, community members highlighted their lived-experiences of resistance and resiliency in their goal to community health and well-being. |
| Results |
Through a theory-driven thematic analysis of decolonial ecofeminism, this research situates women's narratives of health deterioration and resistance within systemic forces of power that impede global health, including patriarchy, neocolonialism and neoliberal capitalism. The findings demonstrate their unique experiences, challenges, strengths and resiliency in advocacy for their familial, community and territorial health and well-being. |
| Discussion/Conclusion |
The findings of this work depict unique narratives of women as leaders in mining resistance movements and their struggle for improved health and well-being. Further, the narratives demonstrate the systemic forces in which these lived-experiences are situated, emphasizing ways in which systems of power contribute to growing health disparities globally. |
| Presenters and affiliations |
Klaire Gain King's University College |
