Women in Mining in Nigeria (WIMIN), a non-governmental organization, has advocated gender equity in the mining sector in Bauchi State.
The President of the organisation, Mrs Janet Adeyemi stated this during the Research Validation and Policy Dialogue on Wednesday in Bauchi.
She said that there was need for proactive policies to avail women space and opportunities to invest equally in mining, exploration and governance.
According to Adeyemi, many countries across the globe have ensured that their policies reflect gender as nobody wants to be reckoned with a society that has no respect or concern for women and children.
“It is my believe that in this global journey to progress, no one wants to be tied down or dragged behind by culture or sentiments.
“That is the attitude I expect of the policy dialogue, we shall hold in this programme,” she said.
Adeyemi said the organisation had deployed a research team to conduct an in-depth study on the extent of Women and Child Rights Violation in the mining sector in Bauchi State.
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“This programme validates the research conducted in Bauchi State, and will open our perspective to the human right issues in the mining host communities.
“Such as Gwana mining community, Toro and other places, we have our spotlight on.
“As we discuss policy matters with stakeholders, we want to urge the Bauchi State Ministry of Natural Resources to direct its attention on the gender-based issues in the mining sector,” she said.
Also Speaking, a Bauchi-based miner, Hajiya Nafisa Baba said statistics indicated that women had been disproportionately burdened by mining’s negative effects while receiving few benefits in the state.
“The reasons are varied and complex, ranging from a lack of regulatory frameworks and sector specific gender equality policies to entrenched social norms and economic inequalities.
“Women often find themselves excluded from decision making processes, underrepresented in the mining workforce, and face discrimination in and around mine sites,” she said.
Baba stressed that to achieve gender equality in the mining sector, women voices need to be heard in workplaces, affected communities, and wherever important decisions are made.
This, she said, required policies, programmes and actions that minimise mining negative impacts on women associated with environmental contamination, gender-based violence,” she said.
