The Board chairperson of the Minerals Commission, Barbara Oteng Gyasi, who stated this, noted that it was time women took their rightful positions in the industry and broke the ceiling for women who would want to take careers in the industry.
This, she said, called for all stakeholders in the mining industry such as government, regulators, investors, local communities, academia and Civil Society Organisations to continue to work together to channel more resources and build the expected capacity for the empowerment of women in the mining industry.
Research has shown that only 9.1% 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.
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In a speech read on her behalf at the maiden edition of Women In Mining (WIM) annual conference in Accra last Friday, Ms Oteng Gyasi indicated that although it was important to encourage more women to enter the sector, considered a male dominated one, women could do more as there were a lot of competent women with in-depth knowledge to shape the future of the industry.
“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”, she pointed out.
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Research, she said, supported the fact that mining companies with higher proportion of women in the workforce were doing very well.
“Indeed, with the wide acceptability of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria in the extractive industry, it has become even more pertinent for companies to reflect on such issues and take bold measurable steps in that regard”, she indicated.
In Ghana, the participation of women along the mining value chain, she said, was improving but certainly not without challenges.
Minerals Commission
The Minerals Commission as a regulator, she said, had a major task of ensuring that the country achieved its targets with respect to the proportion of females working in the mining industry.
“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.
This is very encouraging and must continue”, she added.
The maiden conference
The conference, on the theme “Future Fit Responsible Mining – The Female Factor,” was to shape the future of responsible mining by highlighting the invaluable contributions of women in the industry.
The conference featured thought-provoking sessions, interactive panels and networking opportunities aimed at fostering meaningful connections and inspire actionable steps towards a more equitable and sustainable mining sector.
Participants from the various mining institutions were to discuss crucial topics such as diversity and inclusion, talent development, opportunities in the mining industry, policies and frameworks around gender, the role of women in sustainable mining, and how the industry could support them to benefit from their contributions.
The President of WIM, Dr Georgette B. Sakyi-Addo, said the theme encapsulated their belief in the transformative power of women in mining, and therefore encouraged the women to embrace new technologies and promote sustainable practices.
A recent study sponsored by the Ford Foundation and commissioned by women in mining Ghana, she disclosed revealed that issues such as sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation and lack of effective female leadership still plague the industry.
The conference was therefore to serve as a platform to find solutions to the challenges and ” I believe continuous engagement at all levels is key to resolving and bringing attention to some of these issues”.
Women achievers
She touted achievements of some women who had excelled and had left indelible marks in the industry which included Genevieve Tettey, Vicky Bleepony, Celestine Allotey, Joyce Aryee and Alexandra Amoako Mensah whose thesis led to recent Lithium discovery.
“Their resilience, intelligence, and unwavering determination she said continued to inspire all the women in the mining sector”, she said.
She urged the participants to seize the opportunity to learn from one another, exchange insights, and form collaborations that would drive positive change in the industry.
“Let us engage in open and constructive dialogue, embracing our collective wisdom to shape a brighter future for mining”, she added.
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