Africa-Press – Ghana. The government has been urged to deliberately implement strategies to attract, retain and encourage women to actively get involved in the management of natural resources in Ghana.
As a show of this commitment, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources should prioritise women in Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) in the allocation of concessions for the community mining initiative.
These were contained in a statement issued by the Centre for Social Impact Studies (CeSIS), an NGO dedicated to the promotion of people in mining communities, to mark this year’s International Women’s Day celebrations.
The theme for the celebration was “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow’’ with the associated slogan “Break the Bias’’. The statement signed by Mr Robert Ali Tanti, the Executive Director, said CeSIS was this year highlighting the unequal burden that women at all levels carry in the mining sector.
It said despite their immense contribution to artisanal mining, particularly, women had largely remained invisible in the ASM sector. The statement also appealed to the mining companies to provide equal opportunities to women and men regarding conditions of service and take steps to mitigate potential systems, policies and cultural barriers that women face in the sector.
It said for instance that, the practice where women miners earned less than their male counterparts should be reviewed immediately. “It is discriminatory and against the fundamental human rights of the women and the companies must implement deliberate policies that will encourage women to ascend the labour hierarchy and occupy top positions in the sector,” the statement added.
It called on both the government and the mining industry to provide more spaces for women to amplify their voices on the key challenges they faced in the industry.
According to the statement, a “world where women enjoy same conditions of service as their male colleagues is possible. A world where women living in mining communities have their livelihoods protected is possible. A world where women in ASM can have access to mineral concessions is possible.” The statement urged the country to take immediate steps to end bias and build a sustainable future with women.
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