Action Research on Women's Livelihoods and the Extractive Political Economy in the Central African Republic, 2021–2026

This action research study, conducted from 2021 to 2026, investigates the gendered impacts of the extractive political economy on women’s livelihoods in the Central African Republic (CAR). It addresses a critical gap by examining how both formal and informal mining sectors reconfigure women’s economic agency and social vulnerability. Employing a rigorous participatory action research methodology, the study involved iterative cycles of data collection and analysis with 45 women from artisanal mining communities in Ouaka and Mbomou. Methods included focus group discussions, participatory mapping, and collective reflection sessions to co-produce knowledge.

The findings demonstrate that women’s labour within extraction zones is predominantly informal and precarious. It is characterised by a dual burden: direct engagement in mineral servicing alongside the struggle to sustain household and agricultural economies amidst environmental degradation. The analysis establishes that extractive governance structures systematically marginalise women from decision-making, thereby exacerbating their economic insecurity. This study contributes an empirically grounded, African-centred analysis, showing how women’s livelihood strategies are simultaneously constrained by and actively negotiate the extractive regime. The co-created interventions, such as women’s savings collectives and advocacy training, provide a model for feminist praxis. They underscore the imperative of integrating gender-transformative approaches into natural resource governance in CAR and analogous contexts.