Amber Women: A Look at Amber Mining in Simojovel de Allende, Chiapas (Mexico), from Feminist Political Ecology

Abstract

In the municipality of Simojovel de Allende, Chiapas are the main amber deposits of all Mesoamerica, a natural resource derived from a process of formation of millions of years. The adoption of neoliberal policies that resulted in a peasant crisis in Mexico and the opening of the Republic of China to the global market, incorporated amber into the international market around 1990 and accelerated the entry of the regional population to the exploitation of this resin. This article analyzes from the Feminist Political Ecology the economic transformations, social and environmental impact of amber mining on the lives of Simojovel women and the access and benefit they have in the participation of the amber mining production chain from data obtained from in-depth interviews and other ethnographic cutting techniques. It was found that women participate in the entire production chain of amber mining and that the transformations particularly affect the care and productive work performed by women.