Women make up 30% of the world’s artisanal mining workforce. Even though governments, donors, NGOs, and the private sector have made pledges to promote women’s participation in the sector, many well-intentioned projects and policies fail to analyze the negative affects they may have on women at the mine site and in the community. Some initiatives ignore the choice women make to work in ASM, while others may fail to acknowledge their limited options outside the sector.

Want to ensure your efforts help advance—not regress—gender equality and the position of women in ASM? Register now to learn how the Toolkit: Gender Impact Assessments for Projects and Policies Related to Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining can be applied to your work.

Watch the recording now:

Speakers:

H.E. Ms. Lisa Stadelbauer
High Commissioner for Canada to Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda
Canada’s Ambassador to Somalia and Burundi
Canada’s Representative to UN Environment and UN-Habitat

Lisa Stadelbauer (BA [Administrative and Commercial Studies], University of Western Ontario, 1988) joined External Affairs and International Trade Canada in 1990. Her first assignment abroad was in 1992 to Tel Aviv, and she later served in Hanoi as counsellor and then in Oslo as counsellor and consul. From 2011 to 2015, she served as Ambassador to Zimbabwe and Angola, and High Commissioner in Botswana. In Ottawa, she has served in a number of functions, including Director of the Eastern and Southern Africa Division, Deputy to Canada’s Africa Personal Representative to the G8 and, from 2015 to 2017, Director General of the Pan-Africa Bureau. Her most recent assignment was in the Foreign and Defence Policy Secretariat of the Privy Council Office. Ms. Stadelbauer was appointed Canada’s High Commissioner to Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Canada’s Representative to UN Environment and UN-Habitat in October 2018, and she presented her credentials as Ambassador to Somalia in June 2019 and to Burundi in July 2019.

Marie-Rose Bashwira
Associate Professor, Université Catholique de Bukavu in Democratic Republic of Congo

Marie-Rose Bashwira is from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). She holds a position of post doctorate at Erasmus University in the International Institute of social studies at The Hague. In a project funded by NOW (Netherlands Science Foundation) in which she is focusing on the impact of mining reform on State legitimacy in the DRC. She graduated for her PhD in 2017, at Wageningen University funded by WOTRO of the NWO. She has done fieldwork in the DRC and the neighboring countries such as Rwanda and Burundi.

Marie-Rose Bashwira is an associate Professor at the Institut Supérieur de Développement Rural (ISDR) and Universite catholique de Bukavu (UCB). There she is teaching classes of entrepreneurship, management, microfinance, environment, gender, natural resources management and rural development. She is also the coordinator of the Center of Research and Expertise on Gender and Development (CREGED, https://creged.org/fr ). She is also a researcher at CEGEMI/ UCB (centre de gestion miniere). In the two centres, Marie Rose Bashwira serves as consultant in many regions (urban and rural) of the DRC (Tshopo, South Kivu, North Kivu, Tanganyika and Lualaba).

A bibliography of Marie-Rose Bashwira’s published works can be found here.

Gerard Nayuburundi
Coordinator of the Natural Resources Unit, International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR)

Lynn Gitu
Program Leader, IMPACT (Uganda)

Lynn supports IMPACT’s work in mineral certification and due diligence in English-speaking countries in the Great Lakes region. She liaises with International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Secretariat staff and government officials to carry out stakeholder sensitization, and to coordinate capacity building and other technical training. Lynn is a legal professional with an emphasis in social justice. She specializes in conflict analysis, policy analysis, women’s empowerment and natural resource governance. She has previously held positions with Africa Institute for Energy Governance and International Alert, implementing and managing advocacy programming focused on better management of energy and extractives in East and Central Africa. Lynn holds a Bachelor of Law from Makerere University in Uganda.

Shamiso Mtisi
Deputy Director, Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA)

Shamiso Mtisi as the Deputy Director and Environmental Lawyer at ZELA – the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association. ZELA is a premier public interest environmental law group based in Zimbabwe. As a public interest non-governmental organisation seeks to promote environmental justice, sustainable and equitable use of natural resources, democracy and good governance in the natural resources and environment sector.

Moderated by Georgette Sakyi-Addo
President, Association of Women in Mining in Africa (AWIMA)

Georgette Barnes Sakyi-Addo is the Founder and Executive Director of Georgette Barnes Ltd., a Ghanaian Drilling & Mining supplies company based in Accra.  The company, established in 2009, represents well-known sector brands such as Australian Mud Company, Breithaupt, RIDGID and Westernex and has clients in West Africa. In September 2020, The University of Mines & Technology (Tarkwa–Ghana) awarded me with a Doctor of Science Degree (Honoris Causa) for meritorious service to the mining industry. In 2019 Georgette, was awarded 2018 Female Entrepreneur of the Year by Invest in Africa (IIA), a non-profit championing African-owned SMEs across the continent. She was selected as one of the 100 Global Inspirational Women In Mining by Women In Mining – UK In (2016).

Georgette has consistently founded and managed start-ups and small and medium business entities in the mining sector, and sought to give of herself and make an impact on others in the mining community.

When asked at her first job interview in 1993 by the CEO of International Gold Resources (IGR) in Accra, why she should be hired as Administration Assistant in an exploration firm when she had no prior experience, she replied: “I’ll never get any experience unless someone first tries me.” IGR tried her. She went on to establish an IGR office in Burkina Faso. She travelled all over West Africa to assist with Concessions Acquisition and also actively giving other young job seekers a chance. She was subsequently the first hire at Resource Services Group (RSG) in (1995) where she established its new offices in Ghana as head of administration. But she went beyond duty and took interest in the core business, and for the next decade, she worked with the team on projects throughout West Africa. In 2004, She became founding Managing Director of Corstor Ghana Limited, a mining supplies firm headquartered in Johannesburg. Under Georgette’s direction and leadership, the mine support business caught the attention of a Swedish industry giant which acquired the Corstor Group including it’s Ghana branch. She also represented the Australian company Westernex in Ghana and the West Africa sub region as non-executive director.

To top it all, she is sharing her knowledge and experience by establishing Women in Mining (WIM) Ghana and volunteering as co-ordinator. Georgette is also a volunteer and Co-founder of Accra Mining Network (AMN) dedicated to people working in all aspects of the mining industry in Ghana to “meet, learn & earn”.

Georgette holds a BA in French and Linguistics, and a Graduate Diploma in Communications from the University of Ghana. In 2005 she earned a Diploma in Accounting/Finance. In 2015, she received a Certificate in Mining Law & Policy (University of Ghana) and another for Proficiency in Principles of Mining Engineering and Surface Mining Operations from University of Mining and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa. Her Interests include local content, economic linkages & diversity in the mining sector. She has co-authored 4 publications in artisanal and small-scale mining.

Details:

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

9:00-10:00am EST | 2:00-3:00pm GMT | 5:00-6:00pm EAT

The webinar will be in English with French translation available