A mine for women? Trajectories of Kanak women in the nickel industry in New Caledonia

Abstract

Based on the analysis of a sample of biographical trajectories, this article attempts to reconstruct the constraints experienced by Kanak women who join the nickel industry, and the strategies they use to enter and remain in the industry. During the 2010s, the nickel sector saw a rapid influx of Indigenous women, often into skilled positions. By cross-referencing the pathways taken by these employees, we shed light on this phenomenon by endeavoring to reconstruct the contradictions and inherent fragility associated with these pathways. To this end, the chapter examines ethnic and gender divisions in the New Caledonian labor market, the country’s specific arrangements for vocational training, and gender relations in the domestic and public spheres, particularly within mining companies. The legacy of the Kanaks’ forced relocation to reserves is also explored. As such, this chapter pursues the dialog opened by research conducted on gender relations in and around the workforce in a postcolonial context, while taking care not to exoticize what is happening in New Caledonia.