WiM-Africa Builds Continent-Wide Framework For Gender Equity In Mining

Women in Mining Africa (WiM-Africa), a leading pan-African advocacy network for women’s empowerment, has initiated a far-reaching consultation and drafting process to shape its Five-Year Action Plan (2025–2030), a bold roadmap aimed at advancing gender equity and sustainability across Africa’s mining sector.

The initiative has garnered active involvement from stakeholders in over 36 countries, including Cameroon, Ethiopia, DRC, Malawi, Zambia, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Tanzania, Senegal, Rwanda, and Uganda, as well as members of the African diaspora in Canada, the UK, and the United States.

In a statement signed by executive director Dr. Comfort Asokoro-Ogaji, WiM-Africa emphasised that the action plan reflects its commitment to inclusive governance, regional relevance, and African-led solutions.

Coordinated by the Office of Strategy, Planning and Research (SPR) under the leadership of Bethelihem Emiru from Ethiopia, the process is structured around a peer-led model. This approach ensures broad participation, especially from women engaged in artisanal and small-scale mining.

“Through structured consultations, technical inputs, and ongoing peer reviews, the Action Plan is being developed around WiM-Africa’s Strategic Focus Areas and Seven Programmatic Priorities.

“The plan is not only a strategic guide for the organisation but also a tool for engaging governments, donors, development partners, and financial institutions,” Asokoro-Ogaji said.

According to the statement, implementation will be carried out through five specialised directorates, each of which will house dedicated bureaus and deliver an estimated 29 flagship programmes. These programmes will address key areas including gender equity, inclusion in mineral value chains, legal reform, youth empowerment, digital engagement, and research.

She stressed that the consultation has already yielded innovative ideas – from using cartoons for grassroots awareness campaigns to setting up a continent-wide monitoring system for gender equity in mining. Local chapter coordination models are also being proposed to support tailored implementation at the community level.

Dr. Asokoro-Ogaji called on governments, mining companies, civil society organisations, and donors to support the development and rollout of the Action Plan.

“This initiative is a call to action to fully harness the talent and leadership of African women across the mineral sector,” she said.