Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF-Ghana) and Friends of the Nation FoN have conducted a training workshop focused on enabling responsible and sustainable practices for Artisanal Small-scale Miners (ASM).
The programme was organised under the Fair4All Project, supported by Oxfam in Ghana, with the objective to strengthen the capacity of women in adopting alternative business models and sustainable mining practices within the gold value chain.
Held over three days in Akim Oda, located within the Eastern Region’s Birim Central Municipality, the event brought together female ASM and personnel from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the municipal assembly.
A FoN Project Officer, Mr. Solomon Kusi Ampofo, clarified that mining involves removing natural materials including coal, gold, diamond, and iron ore from the ground for both commercial and individual applications.
He guided attendees through the stages of ethical mining operations: geological survey, resource assessment, feasibility study, mine planning, financial review, and operational development.
He promoted a mercury-free gold recovery technique employing borax during smelting, highlighting that this approach is more economical and less damaging to the ecosystem than mercury amalgamation.
Mr. Ampofo also advised mining operators to implement safety measures, like using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at work sites, to minimise contact with hazardous chemicals, sharp materials, and dust.
The Acting EPA Director for Birim Central Municipality, Mr. Sylvester Awozum, instructed participants on the necessity of obtaining official licences and permits for their mining concessions.
He emphasised that this was critical for the Agency to verify that the operation will benefit the local communities positively.
“Additionally, the licence and permit ensure that mining firms will commit to rehabilitating any land that has been disturbed,” he stated.
A WiLDAF Project Officer, Ms. Dorcas Mawuena Gakpetor, explained that the group safeguards women in the extraction industries, making certain their rights are upheld and their specific concerns are met.
She encouraged female artisanal miners to follow responsible mining guidelines to improve the public image often associated with illegal miners (galamseyers).
According to her, WiLDAF campaigns for greater involvement of women in the mining, agriculture, and petroleum industries.
The Birim Central Municipal Planning Officer, Mr. Royal Antwi, discussed the assembly’s function in advancing sustainable small-scale mining and requested stakeholder perspectives to aid in reforming policy and enhancing the new mining cooperatives’ programme.
The training, which was facilitated by lecturers from the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) and the EPA, included a practical session at a gold concession close to Akim Oda Nkwanta, allowing participants to witness mining operations firsthand.
For her part, the National Women’s Coordinator for the Ghana Association of Small-scale Miners, Mrs. Victoria Adobea Guerrieri, conversed with women about sustainable methods to motivate the association to advocate for female-owned mining concessions.
Story & Pictures By: Ernestina Kwakyewa Sintim
