By SUNDAY ABBA, Abuja
Women in Mining Africa (WiM-Africa) has launched an unprecedented continent-wide consultation and drafting process to develop its 5-Year Action Plan (2025–2030)—a transformative roadmap for accelerating gender equity and sustainability across Africa’s mining sector, a statement signed by Dr Asokoro Ogaji, Director General, WiM-Africa said.
According to the Statement, the collaborative initiative has attracted active participation from over 36 countries, including representatives from Cameroon, Ethiopia, DRC, Malawi, Zambia, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Tanzania, Senegal, Rwanda, Uganda, and members of the African diaspora in Canada, the UK, and the U.S. The process reflects WiM-Africa’s commitment to inclusive governance, local relevance, and continental ownership.
It further explained that the Office of Strategy, Planning, & Research (SPR), led by Bethelihem Emiru of Ethiopia, is coordinating the process, with strategic oversight from the office of the Executive Director, Dr Comfort Asokoro-Ogaji, and that together, they were guiding a robust peer-led approach that ensures all voices—especially those of women in artisanal and small-scale mining are captured and reflected.
Through structured consultations, technical submissions, and ongoing peer review, the Action Plan is being shaped around WiM-Africa’s core frameworks: the Strategic Focus Areas and Seven Programmatic Priorities.
It is designed to serve not only as an internal compass but also as an engagement tool for partners, donors, development finance institutions, and national governments.
The Action Plan will be implemented through a robust institutional framework comprising five dedicated directorates—each with specialised bureaus—and an estimated 29 flagship programs that span across gender equity, value chain inclusion, research, legal advocacy, youth empowerment, and digital influence. These programs are currently under peer consultation and will guide WiM-Africa’s work across all member countries over the next five years, ensuring both strategic coherence and measurable impact.
The consultation has also highlighted innovative proposals from contributors, including the use of cartoons for grassroots advocacy, local chapter coordination, and a continental monitoring system for gender equity compliance in mining. These inputs will inform programmatic strategies to be implemented across member countries.
WiM-Africa calls on all stakeholders—including mining companies, civil society, donors, and governments—to support the development and implementation of this bold plan, which aims to unlock the full potential of African women in the mineral value chain.