The women’s wing of Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASSM), Artisanal Small-Scale Women in Mining (ASWiM), has elected new executives pending an official inauguration, the body has announced.
The GNASSM-ASWiM National Committee oversees 10 Mining District Women Organizers with over 50 Zonal Areas nationwide.
The body focuses on advocacy and capacity building to combat the mining-related menace of child labour as well as providing support for the vulnerable, ‘kolikoli’ women, suffering abuse in the mining value-chain.
The recent election has Mrs Victoria Adobea Guerrieri as National Women Coordinator, with seven-member National Committee Members comprising Messrs Cynthia Asantewaa; Elizabeth Amponsah; Afua Kyeiwaa; Berlinda Amarh; Patricia Martey; Priscilla Nyarku and Leticia Ohene-Asiedu.
L-R: Leticia Ohene-Asiedu; Elizabeth Amponsah; Patricia Martey; Victoria Adobea Guerrieri ; Cynthia Asantewaa & Priscilla Nyarku
The Committee also elected Patricia Martey of Bibiani as Secretary and Pricilla Nyarku of Akim Oda as Assistant Secretary; with Leticia Ohene-Asiedu of Accra as Communications Officer.
The body also seized the opportunity to discuss issues of a rebranding of GNASSM-ASWiM and Outreach Programs targeting Women groupings such as Female Mine Owners; Female Gold Buyers; Female ‘Kolikoli’ Miners & Female Service Providers and Female in Academia on ASM.
GNASSM-ASWiM also planned to undertake two outreach programmes at Bibiani in the Bibiani and Adukrom in the Akim Oda Mining District Centres.
Fifty pairs of Wellington boots and raincoats among others from an International NGO, Solidaridad WA have been donated for the outreach.
The Committee will inaugurate the elected officials in Accra on January 13, 2021, to kick-start the GNASSM-ASWiM advocacy and outreach programmes as stated earlier.
The National Women Coordinator, Mrs Victoria Adobea Guerrieri commended the Committee for putting their expertise and skills at play to uplift GNASSM-ASWIM.
The Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASSM) is accredited by the
Minerals Commission of Ghana is the industry association for all licensed small-scale miners which includes artisanal small-scale miners; and also has representation in all the mining district centers across the country.
Under GNASSM is the women’s wing namely, Artisanal Small-Scale Women in Mining (ASWiM); which oversees all activities of women in the value-chain of artisanal small-scale mining.