In Zimbabwe they say, Hanzi bhande rinonzvenga vakadzi vakapinda mumigoghi (The gold belt will disappear if women go into the underground mine). Many men on artisanal or small-scale gold mining sites are uncomfortable working with women in their syndicates because of this commonly held cultural belief, that women “pollute” the sacredness of the mining space. https://shecorrespondsafrica.com/rituals-rites-and-rumours-how-women-claim-power-in-zimbabwes-informal-gold-mines/