AFECCOR will provide microcredit and savings services to Just Gold pilot project participants, while creating economic opportunities for women in the artisanal gold sector
March 8 2017—Ottawa, Canada
Partnership Africa Canada is excited to mark International Women’s Day with the announcement of a new project to promote women’s economic empowerment in the artisanal gold mining sector in Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Artisanal Mining Women’s Empowerment Credit and Savings project or AFECCOR (Autonomisation des femmes par l’épargne et le crédit communautaire responsable), will establish a women-led and women-managed microcredit and savings service in Democratic Republic of Congo’s northeastern Ituri province, in Mambasa Territory.
AFECCOR is a an extension of Partnership Africa Canada’s Just Gold project that aims to bring legal, conflict-free and traceable gold from artisanal mine sites in DRC to international markets. It is fully operational from mine site to exporter in Ituri. Microcredit and savings services will be provided to participants in the Just Gold project including miners, service providers, and mine site operators in an effort to replace informal and abusive credit structures that currently exist, with a sustainable and more transparent financial infrastructure. Microcredit and savings services will be provided to both women and men participating in the Just Gold project.
“Part of our work has been to map out women’s vulnerabilities in the artisanal mining sector, as well as to understand the empowerment opportunities in artisanal mining and support women to derive benefits from the sector,” said Joanne Lebert, Partnership Africa Canada’s Executive Director.
“PAC is committed to gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in all phases of its work. We are thrilled to launch the AFECCOR project and to bring this service to the communities already involved in our Just Gold project—filling a need for both women’s economic opportunities in artisanal mining, and promoting transparent credit structures as a means to further curb illicit financing.”
Capacity-building and training to the women leading the project will be provided, with a goal of launching services before the end of 2017. AFECCOR is funded through the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals.
Learn More
Project
Just Gold – Democratic Republic of Congo
Bringing Responsible and Conflict-Free Gold from Artisanal Mines to International Markets
Read More for Just Gold – Democratic Republic of Congo
Project
Artisanal Mining Women’s Empowerment Credit and Savings
Supporting women and men in Democratic Republic of Congo’s artisanal gold mining communities to access savings and credit to promote entrepreneurship and economic security.
Read More for Artisanal Mining Women’s Empowerment Credit and Savings
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