The Kalsaka area of Burkina Faso is famous for its gold production and for a long time, artisanal mining and family-based agricultural production co-existed. But with the entry of industrial gold-mining supported by the state, companies like Cluff Mining and Amara Mining took over large tracts of fertile land and also employed security personnel to deny local artisanal miners access to the gold fields. This has completely altered the livelihoods of these communities and more so for the women who took part in both farming and artisanal mining. Not only has the industrial production of gold contaminated and taken away their land, it has also led to the militarization of their community and the effective erasure of their age-old role in the artisanal gold production and trade.
