MIIF expands scholarship programme to empower more women in mining

The Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) has expanded its Women in Mining Communities (WomCom) Scholarship scheme to bridge the gender gap in education, particularly in mining communities.

The scholarship scheme will extend the programme beyond its initial goal of 1,000 female students, with additional university partnerships beyond the University of Mines and Technology (UMAT) in Tarkwa where the first 41 scholarship recipients began their studies in the 2024/2025 academic year.

Bridging the gap

Speaking at an event to mark this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) last Friday in Accra, the acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MIIF, Justina Nelson, affirmed the Fund’s commitment to closing the gender gap in the mining sector, where women remained underrepresented despite their potential contributions.

She said the strategic growth formed part of the Fund’s effort to increase educational opportunities for women to achieve academic excellence which would help bridge the gender gap in the mining sector.

It is also to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

Data indicates that at the end of 2023, the total population of direct employees in the mining industry, including contractors, stood at 33,109.

This comprised 10,087 direct employees of the Chamber’s producing member companies and 22,022 employees of contractors.

Of the total employee population, 3,246 are females and 29,863 are males, which translates into a gender distribution of 90.2 per cent males and 9.8 per cent females.

This year's IWD is on the theme: "For ALL Women and Girls: Rights, Equality, Empowerment," and the MIIF even brought together staff to celebrate the achievements of women, discuss gender equality in the corporate and mining sectors, and explore ways to empower more women and girls for sustainable development.

She explained that MIIF’s investment in education was key to not only empowering women but also ensuring that the mining sector benefitted from a different skills.

She stressed that the initiative was not just a short-term project but a long-term commitment to empowering women across Ghana.

“Our goal is to ensure that more women, especially those from mining communities, have access to the tools, resources, and support they need to succeed.

Empowering women and girls is not just a moral obligation, it is an economic imperative. Studies confirm that investing in women's education and economic participation strengthens economies and build more inclusive communities,” she said.

She further urged Ghanaians to continue to push for women's rights, equality and empowerment, to enable women to dominate and thrive in various sectors of the economy.

Inclusive policies

The President of the Women in Mining Ghana, Dr Georgette Barnes Sakyi-Addo, the guest speaker for the event, advocated more inclusive policies to improve gender diversity and ensure equitable opportunities in the mining sector.

She explained that despite some progress made, women continued to face significant challenges, including unconscious bias in hiring, lack of recognition for leadership roles, harassment in a male-dominated environment, and infrastructure designed primarily for men.

For artisanal miners, she said the situation was even more precarious with serious health risks from chemical exposure, which needed immediate intervention.

"We have made strides, but we still have a long way to go, the goal is not just to participate, but to lead in shaping the future of mining for generations to come," Mrs Sakyi-Addo said.

Technical roles

She further called for more scholarships to encourage girls to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses, ensuring that future generations of women would have the needed skills to take up technical roles in the mining industry.