Government tips women miners to form unions to tap resources, tackle challenges

Government has urged women in artisanal mines to formally unite as cooperatives and deploy such unions to combat some of the major challenges that obstruct their growth.

The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development reasons that it is through such unions that they will gain higher bargaining power to access financial services like loans and also attract other related support from persons and associations.

This followed a pile of challenges women artisanal miners drawn from eight districts pressed on government and other fraternities biased to supporting them weather through the challenges impeding them from growth. 

In her message delivered at this year’s belated commemoration of International Day of Women in Mining held in Kampala on June 26, the Human Rights Officer at the Ministry of Gender Ms Lydia Nabiryo women miners to formally unite to ease access to opportunities availed by government.

“The ministry in collaboration and financial support of GIZ has developed a programme on ‘employement promotion for women for the Green Transformation in Africa’ known as WE4D. The project will work with women in groups and under UWEP and youth under juakali initiatives to provide support in green enterprises,” Ms Nabiryo said.

She added “It also has an objective on promoting certification and accreditation of the products to meet standards of the national and international products.”

This advise was welcomed by the Director of Programs and Policy at Global Alerts, Ms Joy Akoli and her counterpart serving as the project manager at planetGold- Ms Lynn Gitu who jointly reasoned that unions will also ease recording keeping and boost confidence in other entities that such women seek to work with.

“Many of our women miners have not been able to optimally benefit from the sector because they are not organized and have been able to register themselves into cooperatives and yet that is one of the best ways to compete with large scale miners,” Ms Akoli said.

She added “In order for a miner to actually to be able to start up, you need a minimum of Shs15 Million, so for them to have access to this finance, it is important that they are organized and that way, it is easier for them to bank to seek loans or startups.”

Speaking on behalf of the women artisanal miners, Ms Jalia Namatovu lauded government for advice stating it was timely.

The International Day of Women in Mining (IDWIM) is marked on June 15th, and chiefly used to recognize and celebrate the invaluable contributions of women in mining industry, an industry believed to be dominated by men.

Running under the theme "I am Mining and I belong," the 2024 commemoration is aimed at emphasizing the integral role of women in the mining industry and their right to belong and thrive in this space.

[email protected]