WOMEN AND THE MINE OF THE FUTURE

This 2022 report analyzes gender disparities in Ghana's large-scale mining sector, finding that women are significantly underrepresented (9% in large-scale mining) and concentrated in administrative or lower-skilled roles. Key barriers include cultural norms, a lack of STEM education, and career interruptions due to family obligations. While some large companies like Newmont show higher proportions of women in senior roles, the sector overall faces challenges with a gender pay gap and higher employee-initiated turnover among women.

• The mining and quarrying sector in Ghana is heavily male-dominated, with women representing only 18% of total employment in 2017. Within this, women are more concentrated in the quarrying sub-sector (45%) than in other mining areas. The sector is noted as having the seventh-lowest proportion of women among all economic sectors in 2017.
• Women's representation in large-scale mines and their contractors declined from 13.5% in 2017 to 8% in 2019, before rising slightly to 9% in 2021. This decline is attributed to the 2013–16 sector downturn, which disproportionately affected women because they are primarily employed in clerical, administrative, community, and personal services roles.
• Women in the mining sector are predominantly employed at younger ages, specifically below 34. The report notes higher proportions of women in the 15–24 (34%), 45–54 (25%), and 55—64 (22%) age ranges, whereas men are most concentrated in the 25–44 range. This pattern suggests career interruptions in the late thirties and forties due to family and maternity reasons.

APA

Peltier-Huntley, J., & Weldegiorgis, F. (2022). WOMEN AND THE MINE OF THE FUTURE. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-04/women-mine-of-the-future-ghana.pdf

Chicago

Peltier-Huntley, Jocelyn, and Fitsum Weldegiorgis. WOMEN AND THE MINE OF THE FUTURE. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2022. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-04/women-mine-of-the-future-ghana.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Peltier-Huntley |first1=Jocelyn |last2=Weldegiorgis |first2=Fitsum |title=WOMEN AND THE MINE OF THE FUTURE |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2022 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-04/women-mine-of-the-future-ghana.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{peltierhuntley2022women, author = {Peltier-Huntley, Jocelyn and Weldegiorgis, Fitsum}, title = {{WOMEN AND THE MINE OF THE FUTURE}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2022}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-04/women-mine-of-the-future-ghana.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }