The Artisanal Gold Council (AGC) Philippines launched a storybook telling the experiences and plights of women miners in time for International Women’s Day.

According to AGC, there are about 18,000 Filipino women miners across the country and most of them remain underrepresented or invisible.

The storybook titled “Mina Minera” demonstrates the commitment of Filipinas miners’ commitment each day to provide for her family’s basic needs, ensuring they are well-fed and clothed.

The story emphasizes the transformative power of supporting women’s reproductive and productive work and encourages the readers to understand the importance of giving women the necessary resources and recognition.

Written by Meggy Katigbak, she said she believes the book is relatable to all women, not just to women miners.

“For a start, all women will relate,” Katigbak told the DAILY TRIBUNE, noting the unpaid work women face apart from their usual daily jobs.

In a 2021 study, Oxfam Pilipinas found that women spent 13 hours of daily care work compared to only eight hours for men. It noted that women are still pressured to do more household chores and care work even while working full-time.

Katigbak said she also hopes that through “Mina Minera,” readers could visualize what gender division of labor means, adding that there are still some negative images of women in the mining industry.

Women miners are often regarded as “unlucky,” because they are believed “to cause the gold to hide” when they visit mining areas, according to Katigbak.