Women blast through gender barriers in Colombia's emerald mines, but struggle to emerge from poverty

Deep inside mountain tunnels in Colombia where the heat is so intense it causes headaches, women with power tools are chipping away at boulders in search of gems. They have opened a difficult path for themselves in the emerald industry, a sector long dominated by men. Some once believed that if women worked in the mines, the emeralds would hide. Now female miners are pushing for the government to officially recognize them and to legalize a small number of women-owned mines. The work is hard, and the women are raising families, too. Striking it rich is rare. “But we continue to struggle,” one woman says.