As a glittering crowd gathered in central London for a champagne reception honouring women in mining on Tuesday night, activists held a vigil to honour women they said had suffered human rights abuses at the hands of the industry.
The small group made its point by holding up posters highlighting the stories of women in communities affected by mining.
Led by the Gaia Foundation, which advocates halting mining development worldwide because of environmental and human rights concerns, about 20 activists stood outside London’s Business Design Centre as those attending Mines and Money, an annual conference that drew over 3,000 industry representatives, government officials and investors this year, walked by.
Protesters read a statement by the International Women and Mining Network, which unites organizations from Asia, Africa, the Pacific and the Americas.
See http://www.trust.org/item/20131204145952-e20k3/?source=hptop.