Report by: Ishmael Barfi
According to the Board Chairperson of the Minerals Commission, Ms. Barbara Oteng Gyasi, it is time for women in the mining sector to take their rightful positions, especially managerial positions.
To her, this would inspire younger generations as well as pave the way for women who would want to pursue careers in the mining sector.
This she said can not be achieved without the conscience efforts of various stakeholders in the industry citing the government, regulators, investors, academia, Civil Societies as well as the communities this mining takes place.
It is of great essence she noted for the above stakeholders to continue to work together and also ensure that, the needed and rightful resources are channeled, hence building the requisite capacity of these women in the industry.
Cross Section of participants at the WIM maiden conference
This was contained in a speech read on her behalf at the maiden edition of the Women In Mining (WIM) annual conference on 9th June 2023, the final day of the Ghana Chamber of Mines’ Ghana Mining and Energy Summit 2023 held at Accra International Conference Centre.
The maiden edition of the Women in Mining (WIM) Annual Conference which was under theme: Future-Fit Responsible Mining-The Female Factor brought together females working in the mining sector in all levels to deliberate on issues affecting the female gender in a male-dominated industry.
Some of the topics discussed at the maiden conference included diversity and inclusion, talent development, opportunities in the mining industry, policies and frameworks around gender, and the role of women in sustainable mining.
Reiterating the essence of capacity building, she explained that, this would equip the women with the expected capacity for their empowerment in the mining industry.
Some distinguished women in the mining sector during a panel discussion
“Although it is important to encourage more women to enter the sector, considered a male-dominated one, women can do more when we have a lot of competent women with in-depth knowledge to shape the future of the industry”, Ms. Oteng Gyasi emphasized.
Adding, “We do not just want to rake up the numbers of women along the peripheries, but also ensure that more women take up key managerial roles in the Ghanaian mining industry”.
Backing her statements with research data, she pointed out that, only 9.1 percent of women had been employed in the various mining institutions, making the country one of the least with women employed in the mining sector globally.
Stressing that the data also revealed that mining companies with a higher proportion of women in the workforce were yielding results and enhancing productivity but certainly not without challenges.
Some men at the WIM conference supported the female gender
Meanwhile, the Minerals Commission Board chairperson was of the view that the wide acceptability of Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria in the extractive industry is of important that, it has become even more pertinent for companies to reflect on such issues and take bold measurable steps in that regard.
Touching on the roles of her institution, Ms. Oteng Gyasi admitted that, the Minerals Commission as a regulator has a major task of ensuring that the country achieves its set targets concerning the proportion of females working in the mining industry.
She acknowledged that, through the selfless efforts of female professionals and female-oriented civil society Organisations, such as WIM, it has become abundantly clear that women can and are indeed playing very important roles in Ghana’s mining industry and therefore urged them to continue pursuing the best interest of women.
Speaking on the theme: Future-Fit Responsible Mining-The Female Factor, the President of WIM, Dr Georgette B. Sakyi-Addo, explained that, the theme speaks of their belief in the transformative power of women in mining, and therefore encouraged the women to embrace new technologies and promote sustainable practices.
WIM Maiden Confab: Oteng Gyasi urges women to take rightful positions in the mining sector
Buttressing her above statement, she disclosed that, a recent study sponsored by the Ford Foundation and commissioned by women in mining Ghana revealed that issues such as sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and lack of effective female leadership still plague the industry.
She therefore believes that continuous engagement at levels is essential in resolving and giving attention to some of these challenges in the industry and the maiden annual conference is one of such engagement in efforts to find solutions to the challenges.
Concluding her speech, Sakyi-Addo commended industry partners such Ghana Chamber of Mines and platinum sponsors – Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF), The Minerals Development Fund, and Goldfields Ghana – for their generous support and tireless efforts in making the conference a success.
The conference which was sponsored by MIIF featured thought-provoking sessions, interactive panels, and networking opportunities aimed at fostering meaningful connections and inspiring actionable steps towards a more equitable and sustainable mining sector.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
