Stop female discrimination in mining - WIM President appeals to management

The President of Women in Mining Ghana (WIM), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) dedicated to the welfare of women in mining, Dr Georgette Barnes Sakyi-Addo, has asked managers of both small and large scale mining companies to desist from discriminating against female employees.

Such discriminations which, she indicated, included sexual harassment, promotions, menstruating periods, among others, had been having negative effect on the female employees.

Dr Sakyi-Addo made the appeal at a two-day sub-national policy dialogue in mining at New Abirem in the Birim North District in the Eastern Region last Thursday.

The event, which brought together women engaged in mining as well as women groups intending to go into mining, traditional rulers, heads of departments and agencies, students from New Abirem/Afosu Senior High School and the media, was organised by WIM with funding from Ford Foundation.

The dialogue was organised at New Abirem because many small and large scale mining companies, such as Newmont, are sited in that area.

Scientific research

According to Dr Sakyi-Addo, a scientific research, commissioned by WIM with funding from Ford Foundation West Africa, brought to the fore that 50 per cent of women employed in the mining sector suffered all sorts of discrimination at their workplaces.

She said the discriminations, according to the report, included sexual harassment and retaliation for reporting discrimination against women in mining.

She said more often, the female employees were asked to do something, which connoted that they should give themselves up for sex by their male employees.

Legal rights

Dr Sakyi-Addo said under the circumstance, such women must have access to legal rights, safe working conditions and opportunities for skills development.

The women, she asserted, must, therefore, be given the technical training knowledge of safe mining practices and access to credit and markets.

That, the WIM President explained, would empower the women to enhance their economic independence.

To achieve sustainable mining practices, she said it was essential to promote responsible mineral supply chains which included transparency and accessibility which would ensure that the rights of workers, including women, were protected.

Dr Sakyi-Addo suggested that certification schemes and due diligent measures could be implemented to guarantee that minerals would be sourced responsibly and free from environmental and social harm.

Mining companies, she further noted, must adopt strict policies against discriminations and provide channels for reporting complaints.

Such women, Dr Sakyi-Addo said, must have access to appropriate health care such as mental health and maternity leave designed to take care of their children.

She said the women must also be placed in decision-making positions.

Gender mainstreaming

The Project Coordinator of WIM, Hilary Konadu Awuah, who took the participants through gender mainstreaming, said globally women were disproportionally represented in the mining sector compared to their male counterparts.

He backed the assessment with an International Labour Organisation report in 2019, which indicated that an estimated 21.4 million people were employed in the mining sector out of which only 3.1 million were women in 2021.

Writer's email 
haruna.wunpini@graphic.com.gh