The Making of Existential Politics

Abstract This article investigates the reproductive health challenges faced by female mineworkers at Oyu Tolgoi, one of the world’s largest underground mines located in the Southern Gobi Desert. Harsh working conditions, driven by national objectives and the global resource economy, adversely impact female workers, who navigate expectations of motherhood in an environment that impedes their aspirations. Although women represent 18 per cent of the workforce, their efforts to address critical issues – such as sexual harassment and reproductive health problems – are often overlooked. Despite legal frameworks and discourses promoting gender equality, the male-dominated workplace culture creates a repressive atmosphere that discourages women from voicing their concerns. The article examines how female workers engage with everyday politics to address detrimental changes in their reproductive health. Through the lens of necropolitics, it highlights how women confront experiences of pregnancy loss and infertility, and navigate sociopolitical forces in search of care and healing.