By Charles Lotara, SSMJ Juba, Tuesday (October 29, 2024) – As global demand for critical minerals accelerates, a powerful advocacy group, Women in Mining Africa (WiM-Africa), is calling attention to the need for safe, equitable, and inclusive practices in Africa's mining sector. Operating across 36 African countries, the organization is championing the protection of women and children in mining communities, especially in rural areas where unregulated practices often place vulnerable worker
By Charles Lotara, SSMJ
Juba, Tuesday (October 29, 2024) – As global demand for critical minerals accelerates, a powerful advocacy group, Women in Mining Africa (WiM-Africa), is calling attention to the need for safe, equitable, and inclusive practices in Africa's mining sector.
Operating across 36 African countries, the organization is championing the protection of women and children in mining communities, especially in rural areas where unregulated practices often place vulnerable workers at risk.
WiM-AAfrica organized a virtual summit about two weeks ago to bring together organizations, policy experts, and industry leaders in a collaborative push toward gender equity and social justice.
"We seek to empower women in mining by advocating for equal access to resources, opportunities, and leadership roles across the continent," said Comfort Asokoro Ogaji, Founder of WiM-Africa.
"Our mission is to promote responsible mining and advocate for sustainable, ethical, and socially inclusive practices. Protecting children in mining communities is a priority, as is capacity building and collaboration across Africa," she added.
Women make up around 30% of the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) workforce, according to the World Bank. However, the International Institute for Sustainable Development reports that many countries frequently relegate women to low-paying, high-risk jobs outside the mines, a disparity that limits economic empowerment and perpetuates cycles of poverty.
Beyond economic barriers, women in ASM face systemic issues, including violence, harassment, and pay inequality, which prevent them from fully benefiting from their contributions.
In South Sudan, where small-scale mining is essential for household survival, these challenges are starkly apparent. Young children, especially in gold-rich states like Eastern Equatoria, resort to mining as a means of supporting their families amidst ongoing economic hardship.
A 2023 report from the U.S. Department of Labor categorized South Sudan as having made little progress in combating child labor, indicating that more structured interventions are crucial to protect these communities.
“South Sudan is receiving an assessment of no advancement. Despite initiatives to address child labor, South Sudan is assessed as having made no advancement because it demonstrated complicity in the use of forced child labor,” says the department in a statement.
An activist stated at the Fourth Annual National Conference on Women, Peace, and Security, which took place at a Juba hotel from October 22–23, 2024, that oil and mining activities are also causing climate change, which affects women.
Modi Mbaranza, the Executive Director of Young Christian Women’s Association (YCWA) South Sudan , was speaking during a panel discussion on the impact of climate change on women and girls.
“Mining and oil extraction also contribute to climate change, especially in areas where minerals and oil are found. We have seen several reports of babies born deformed. All these need to be addressed,” she said.
Mbaranza emphasized the need for concerted action to address both child labor and the adverse impacts of mining on women.
The environmental impact of mining is equally concerning, as unregulated activities lead to soil and water contamination, contributing to health issues and climate-related challenges. Mining and oil extraction have well-documented effects on local ecosystems in South Sudan.
The conference highlighted cases of birth defects linked to environmental pollution, with calls for the government to “expedite the release of funds to address the devastating situation of citizens, in particular women and girls, in states and administrative areas affected by climate change”.
The recent USD 15 million Global Environment Facility (GEF) project, launched in Eastern Equatoria by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, is an encouraging step towards sustainable ecosystem management.
This four-year initiative, supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), focuses on conservation in the Imotong landscape. However, concerns remain that the project overlooks mining-heavy areas in Greater Kapoeta and Budi counties, where environmental degradation directly impacts communities reliant on these resources.
Women in Mining Africa, alongside activists like Mbaranza, is calling for a comprehensive strategy to address these challenges, urging governments to adopt policies that protect women and children in mining, create pathways for women’s economic advancement, and implement stricter environmental regulations.
In advocating for these reforms, Women in Mining Africa champions the resilience of African women who, despite systemic barriers, continue to push for meaningful change.