DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2015.v03i02.006

Pages: 384-390

The purpose of the study was to unpack and enrich the theory around the socio-economic and environmental trajectories of Mucheke women who are fighting hunger at the grassroots thorough quarry stone extraction. It was a qualitative study that collected data through interviews and observations of the women at their work place. The findings of the study were that the aspect of owning resources was critical to the survival of women in this study, but they felt that they wielded less ‘power over’ and ‘power to’ than either their male counterparts or other women. This is because they heard of women empowerment from the newspapers and radios but had not experienced anything. They are driven by poverty, shifting of gender roles, twin dynamic of practice and practising gender in what they do. However, the women in this study opined that they were ready to discard their environmentally destructive practices and join in projects that could help change their lives. The study concluded that in the wake of the theoretical framework of this study which is hinged on the Rio+20 summit that took place in June 2012 addressing issues of sustainable development, the work of women in this study needs the attention of all those who value sustainable development. The study recommended that there is need for integrating gender issues into public policy so that gender mainstreaming is institutionalised and is systematic.