Historically, mining has been male dominated, but women have been entering the sector in greater numbers in recent years. Despite this, men’s participation, consultation, and access to resources still overshadow that of women.
This is why we are hosting a workshop on enhancing women’s voices and participation in mining governance on November 26, 2020, for Women in Mining of West Africa (WIMOWA), a branch of the West African and Monetary Union (UEMOA).
The goal of the training is to support WIMOWA members, deepen their knowledge about gender equality, and highlight how women in all stages of mining are impacted, including women in large-scale mining, women in communities, and women in artisanal and small-scale mining and supply chains. Workshop participants will also discuss strategies to foster women’s position as active agents in the mining sector via participation in decision-making processes.
Government officials from the eight UEMOA states will be in attendance to dive into gender and mining governance, the complexities behind women’s systematic exclusion in mining, and how the sector impacts women as professionals as well as community members.
Although the workshop will focus on empowering women’s voices and participation within the sector and their local communities, we will also detail the challenges and impacts of COVID-19 on women in mining.