Wacam, under the Feminist Mining Initiative (FMI) and in collaboration with Friends of the Nation (FoN) and the Centre for Public Interest Law (CEPIL), has organised two separate grassroots forums in the Ewoyaa Lithium Project area in the Central Region.
The forums were specifically targeted at empowering women to be actively involved in decision-making processes affecting their communities.
The grassroots engagements, which built on earlier focus group discussions that identified critical information gaps among women, aimed to strengthen community mobilisation, particularly among women, on leadership roles and the need for active participation in decisions relating to mineral exploitation.
The programme addressed mining and community rights, emphasising the importance for women to engage in issues surrounding mineral exploitation and its impact on their fundamental rights.
Held in Krofu and Ewoyaa in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese (AAK) District on Thursday, September 3, and Friday, September 4, 2026, respectively, the forums drew together about 100 community members, mainly women, from seven communities: Ewoyaa, Abonko, Anokyi, Afrangua, Krofu, Ansaadze and Krampakrom.
The Associate Executive Director of Wacam, Mrs. Hannah Owusu-Koranteng, who led the discussion, educated participants on “Mining and Development,” which included the effects and benefits of mining and the importance of land.
She underscored that it was paramount for women to be involved in decision-making processes concerning mineral exploitation, particularly as they are disproportionately impacted by mining in their areas.
The Technical Director of Wacam, Lawyer Kwaku Afari, walked the participants through their rights and how to assert them in the wake of mineral exploitation, with a focus on legal awareness and access to justice.
Among the issues of concern to the earmarked lithium communities were delays in compensation payments, moratorium on properties and the benefits that could accrue from lithium exploitation.
The forums also provided a vital avenue for peer learning and sharing. As part of this, community members from Ayanfuri and Breman-Brofoyedur in the Upper Denkyira West District, Central Region, and Kenyasi in the Ahafo Region, who have been affected by the mining operations of Perseus Mining Ghana Limited and Newmont Ghana Gold Company Limited and who were part of the programme shared their experiences.
These included success stories, challenges and their demands for responsible mining in their areas.
For participants from the 7 communities in the Ewoyaa Lithium Project area, this practical, peer-learning exercise at the grassroots level was a significant opportunity to draw lessons from the realities of mining in other parts of Ghana.
The forums are part of the broader FMI, which seeks to strengthen community participation, improve accountability in Ghana’s critical minerals sector, and ensure the meaningful inclusion of women, youth and vulnerable groups in decisions surrounding lithium extraction.
With Ghana having approved its first lithium mining lease for the Ewoyaa project, these engagements are critical for ensuring that community voices, especially those of women, are heard and factored into the process to secure a social license to operate.
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