As part of this year’s International Women’s Day celebrations, the National Women’s Committee of the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union (GMWU) of TUC, in collaboration with the University of Mines and Technology, engaged with the Girls in Science and Technology (GIST).
The initiative aimed to connect female students with women professionals in the mining industry, creating a platform to share experiences and guidance on navigating a traditionally male-dominated field. It also provided an opportunity to highlight the role of GMWU in promoting and protecting workers’ rights—particularly those of women and young female workers—by ensuring safe working conditions and advocating for fair wages.
Associate Professor Ohenewaa Kakra Dankwa, Patron of GIST, encouraged the girls to take full advantage of the collaboration and seek all the support available to them. She expressed her delight at seeing organizations such as the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union investing in the next generation and emphasized the importance of sustaining this partnership into the future.
Sister Florence E. Nkrumah, Chairperson of the National Women’s Committee of GMWU, also shared her joy at the initiative. She reminded the girls that women’s rights are human rights, rooted in dignity, equality, and fairness. She urged them to become catalysts for change, inspiring progress within their communities and beyond.
Sister Vida Brewu, responsible for Training, Programmes, and Stakeholder Engagement at the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union of TUC, delivered an exposition on the theme “Rights. Justice. Action for All Women and Girls.”
She highlighted the multiple expectations placed on women and girls—to achieve high academic standards, meet workplace targets with excellence, nurture future generations, and contribute to national socio-economic development—while simultaneously facing systemic and structural barriers. These barriers include entrenched socio-cultural expectations tied to gendered domestic roles, inadequate campus infrastructure such as poor sanitation facilities for menstrual hygiene, and poorly lit environments that compromise safety of girls.
She further noted that limited representation, lack of mentorship, sexual harassment, and insufficient academic and career support continue to hinder the progress of girls in research and academic leadership.
Sister Brewu emphasized the importance of girls understanding their rights, demanding justice, and taking action through networking and speaking out against these challenges. She urged them to rise to their rights, advocate for change, and be empowered to take charge of their own journeys toward success.
Panel discussion featuring female industry practitioners provided valuable insights into navigating the mining sector as women in a male-dominated environment. Engineer Justina Dzah, Explosives Manager at Maxam Ghana, and Engineer Ruth Mends, a Mining Engineer at Ghana Manganese Company, shared practical experiences and strategies from their professional journeys.
Adding to the Union’s perspective, Sister Agnes Agamasu, Second Vice Chairperson of the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union, emphasized the importance of workers’ rights and institutional support. She advised the students to seek proper career guidance, particularly during their job search, to ensure they make informed choices and build sustainable careers in the industry.
