THE president of Women in Mining (WIM) Ghana, Dr Georgette Barnes Sakyi-Addo, is rallying players in Ghana’s mining industry, especially women to embrace new technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and sustainable practices to drive the industry in Ghana onto the desired growth path.
Addressing professionals in mining and other industries, largely women at the maiden conference of WIM Ghana, Dr Sakyi-Addo challenged women to aspire to greater heights in their respective endeavours, exploring and exploiting new technologies.
She noted that the theme of the conference, ‘Future Fit Responsible Mining – The Female Factor,’ “encapsulates our belief in the transformative power of women in mining.”
WIM Ghana is a network that promotes the advancement of women in the natural resources sector for their economic empowerment and the positive transformation of communities at local, sub-regional, regional and global levels
The conference which pooled top local and internationally recognized professional women and men, who have achieved great success in their careers formed part of this year’s Ghana Mining and Energy Summit which was themed “Harnessing Mining and Energy Potential for Sustainable National Development. ”
Dr Sakyi-Addo called for continuous engagement from stakeholders in the industry to help address issues women face.
Dr. Georgette revealed that issues such as sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation and lack of effective female leadership still plague the industry.
She celebrated women achievers and urged the up and coming women to brave the odds and achieve excellence.
“Today, we acknowledge the remarkable achievements of women who have shattered barriers, Genevieve Tettey, Vicky Bleepony, Celestine Allotey, Joyce Aryee and Alexandra Amoako Mensah whose thesis led to recent Lithium discovery etc have blazed trails, and left an indelible mark on the industry. Their resilience, intelligence, and unwavering determination continue to inspire us all,” she submitted.
The Executive Vice President and head of Gold Fields West Africa and President of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Joshua Mortoti advocated for an increase in the quota of women employed in the mining sector in Ghana.
Mortoti who applauded women’s resilience at work, disclosed that Gold Fields had introduced a 50-50 quota for recruiting interns and employing graduates in its operations.
Women still underrepresented
The Australian High commissioner to Ghana madam Bernice Owen-Jones observed that “women in the mining industry in Ghana are still underrepresented.”
She said a study indicates that women make up approximately 5 -15 percent of large-scale mining worldwide.
Madam Owen-Jones expressed the Australian government’s commitment to collaborate with WIM Ghana in its mentoring programmes across the country.
