Mining: WiM-Africa To Lead UN Talks On Gender, Accountability In Extractive Sector

Efforts to address gender disparities and strengthen accountability in Africa’s extractive sector will take centre stage as Women in Mining Africa (WiM-Africa) convenes a side event at the 12th session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD-12).

The session, organised under the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), will focus on advancing dialogue around the proposed Africa Responsible Minerals and Gender Index (ARMGI), a framework aimed at linking mineral wealth to measurable outcomes for women and host communities.

Executive director of Women in Mining Africa, Dr Comfort Asokoro-Ogaji, told journalists that the initiative aims to shift attention towards tangible outcomes for stakeholders.

The session, with the title “Advancing Gender-Responsive Mineral Governance and Measurable Host Community Outcomes through ARMGI,” is expected to bring together representatives of African institutions, private sector operators, development partners, environmental groups and civil society organisations.

According to her, discussions will centre on how to translate commitments in the extractive sector into measurable outcomes, particularly for women and host communities.

The ARMGI framework is being developed as a tool to promote accountability in mineral governance, with a focus on gender inclusion, equitable benefit-sharing and tracking development outcomes across mining regions, she said.

It is also expected to support alignment between Africa’s extractive industry and broader continental and global frameworks, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Agenda 2063 and the African Mining Vision.

The side event forms part of the wider ARFSD-12 theme, “Turning the Tide: Transformative and Coordinated Actions for the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.”

Participants are expected from institutions such as the African Union Commission, alongside mining stakeholders and sustainability partners. Key areas of focus will include gender-responsive benefit-sharing, women’s participation in mineral value chains, community-centred accountability and the role of responsible minerals in the energy transition.

“Africa’s mineral wealth must be measured not only by production and revenues, but by outcomes for women and communities. ARMGI seeks to help move us from commitments to measurable impact,” she said.

The event is also expected to serve as a platform for further stakeholder engagement on the development and potential implementation of the index across the continent.