The Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT), a civil society organisation, has engaged some selected women in artisanal small-scale mining (ASM) to enlighten them on their mining rights.
The engagement aimed to foster dialogue, enhance capacity building, and facilitate collective action, while allowing the women to share their experiences within the mining sector and the challenges they encounter.
The workshop, which was supported by the Third World Network Africa and the Global Fund for Women, also sought to provide these women with a comprehensive understanding of the mining laws and regulations governing resettlements and ASM operations within their respective communities.
It further served as a platform to explore advocacy strategies aimed at promoting more inclusive and gender-responsive practices in the ASM sector.
Ms. Lebenam Gifty Amekuedi, the Program Officer of NETRIGHT, speaking to the Ghana News Agency in the sidelines of the event, noted that, women constituted nearly 20-30 percent of the small-scale mining workforce, yet they were often marginalised in decision-making processes.
She stressed the need to engage and enlighten women through a critical examination of the gender dimensions inherent in national processes and policies, while advocating for meaningful policy reform.
Ms. Lebenam said it was imperative to incorporate women’s voices in decision-making, as the insights of women carry invaluable wisdom.
She further noted that gender inequality was pervasive on multiple fronts, attributing its persistence to entrenched norms that shaped stereotypes and influenced perceptions regarding women’s capabilities and roles.
Ms. Lebenam urged the women to rise against such inequitable decisions for the betterment of their respective mining communities.
Mr. Richard Ellimah, a Natural Resource Governance Analyst and a resource person at the event, encouraged the participants to form cohesive groups to effectively communicate their grievances to relevant stakeholders.
Participants expressed their gratitude for the engagement and voiced hope that the insights gained would positively impact their business activities.
The participants were drawn from five mining communities within the Obuasi Municipality.
GNA
