Mining industry not solely for men — Women in Mining

The Women in Mining  chapter of Perseus Mining Ghana Limited, has organised a durbar at Ayanfuri in the Central Region to whip up interest among women, especially the younger generation, to venture into professional mining as part of activities to celebrate this year's International Women's Day.

The young women in the catchment areas of the company to aspire to take up professional roles in the mining industry.

The chapter was formed in 2019 with the aim of empowering women in mining communities to accept the challenge that women could also undertake mining, a field otherwise dominated by men.

The association has a membership of 48 currently.

The President of the chapter, Ms. Cecilia Amakye, said despite the COVID -19 pandemic and its effects on economic activities, the association believed it had become even more necessary to encourage young women to confront the attendant challenge head-on.

Encouragement

The General Manager of Perseus Mining Ghana Limited, Dr. Stephen Kofi Ndede, said he was delighted that more women were being encouraged into the mining industry, which had been the preserve of men for long.

He said that notwithstanding, a lot more needed to be done to improve the numbers, noting that women made up only 28 per cent of the workforce in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and with lower representation in its leadership.

Ms. Hamdia Orleans-Boham of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, who is also a lecturer at the Tarkwa-based University of Mines and Technology, challenged women to break new grounds.

Experiences

Three women in different units of Perseus Mining Ghana Limited — Ms. Stephanie Danso, Mrs. Jemima Brown-Afari and Ms. Samantha Sowah — said women needed self-confidence to break barriers, the courage to demystify science and technology, and the passion to pursue their dreams as they shared their own experiences.