The women miners of Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza thumbnail
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza
2015 - Les femmes mineurs de Breza

November 2015 - The coal mine of Breza, 30 km north of Sarajevo, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has been active since 1907.

November 2015 - The coal mine of Breza, 30 km north of Sarajevo, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has been active since 1907.

November 2015 - The coal mine of Breza, 30 km north of Sarajevo, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has been active since 1907.

November 2015 - The coal mine of Breza, 30 km north of Sarajevo, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has been active since 1907.

Almedina Kaljun, 51, talks with an engineer in an office of the Breza mine. She's been working at Breza for 32 years, one of generations of women trained in 1984-86 at the mine school of Breza.

Almedina Kaljun, 51 years old, gets changed before going down in the shaft of Sretno (Good luck! in Bosnian).

Almedina Kaljun, 51 years old, gets changed before going down in the shaft of Sretno (Good luck! in Bosnian).

Semsa Hadzo works at Breza for 31 years. She started in 1984, after studying at the mine technical school. She's now responsible for the dynamite stocks in the Sretno shaft.

Semsa Hadzo chats with a young colleague who works at the surface.

Almedina Kaljun in the changing rooms of the mine of Breza.

Almedina Kaljun and Semsa Hadzo get equipped to get down the Sretano shaft ("good luck! in Bosnian). It's the oldest shaft in the Breza mine.

Almedina Kaljun and Semsa Hadzo get equipped to get down the Sretano shaft ("good luck! in Bosnian). It's the oldest shaft in the Breza mine.

The man responsible for the lamps and emergency masks gets a registered signed when he gives the equipment.

Sada and Jasmina chat with colleagues before going down the Kamenica shaft.

Sada and Jasmina chat with colleagues before going down the Kamenica shaft.

Semsa Hadzo and Almedina Kaljun joke with a colleague while going down 300 meters, in the Sretno shaft.

Jasmina goes down in the Kamenica shaft, on a small train mostly used for equipment. Jasmina is responsible for the dynamite in Kamenica.

Sada and Jasmina talk to colleagues in the Kamenica shaft of the Breza mine.

Almedina Kaljun at the bottom of Sretno shaft. Her job is to measure the progress of her colleagues and supervize the repair work in the galleries.

Almedina Kaljun at the bottom of Sretno shaft. Her job is to measure the progress of her colleagues and supervize the repair work in the galleries.

Almedina Kaljun and Semsa Hadzo in the Sretno shaft of the Breza mine.

At the end of the shaft of Sretno, is the fire-prevention, near the dynamite depot.

Semsa Hadzo, responsible for the dynamite in Sretno.

Semsa Hadzo keeps the registers of the dynamite stocks in Sretno.

Almedina's hand.

Semsa Hadzo and Almedina Kaljun examine some recent repairs, in the Sretno shaft.

Almedina Kaljun.

Semsa Hadzo calls for the elevator

Semsa Hadzo and Almedina Kaljun.

Semsa Hadzo goes back up at the surface to watch over a stock of explosives.

Semsa Hadzo watches over a stock of explosives before it is taken below surface.

Almedina Kaljun's day is over.

Almedina Kaljun at her place. Being a miner for 32 years and a supervisor, she usually goes down 2 to 3 times a week.

An employee of the Breza mine, north of Sarajevo.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the coal mines still run at full regime. And for about 30 years, in Breza, north of Sarajevo, women also go 200 to 300 meters underground.

[Published in Témoignage Chrétien and Sept, feb. march 2016]