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| (From left) Teddy Goliama, a Gemmologist and Diamond Valuer at Wemo, Mary Atieno, Saphia and Lightness Salema, CEO of WEMA, posing for a picture at COP28 held in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on December 2023. Photo: Seth Onyango, bird story agency |
Mary Otieno, chairperson of Women in Mining Operations (Wemo), is a Tanzanian woman who is working to influence the role of women and mining in Africa's green economy. She believes that women's roles in mining are undervalued and that mining can be done differently. Otieno and her team advocate for environmentally friendly mining techniques and stringent rehabilitation of mining sites. As global industries shift towards green technologies, the demand for minerals such as cobalt, lithium, and rare earth elements, abundant in Africa, has surged, raising concerns about the environmental and social impacts of mining.
One of Wemo's key initiatives is lobbying for local green industries to process minerals at home, asserting that this is where real value lies. By building green industries locally, jobs are created, and community value is maintained. Tanzania's first female miner, Pili Hussein, famously said in a 2017 UN report, "I became a man just to access the mines." Wemo is working to ensure that women benefit more widely from mining activities.
In Tanzania, Wemo has initiated community-based projects that empower women economically along the precious minerals value chain. By getting training providers to focus on gender diversity, Wemo hopes the mining industry can build a workforce that is more inclusive and varied. These projects are not only transforming the mining sector but also reshaping communities and fostering a new generation of environmentally-conscious miners, many of whom Otieno hopes will be women.
Otieno's commitment to sustainable practices is deeply personal, as she has witnessed the degradation of landscapes due to irresponsible mining. She is now adamant about the need to rehabilitate mining sites, stating that after the minerals are extracted, we cannot leave the land barren.
Wemo's work is gaining local and international traction, drawing attention to the importance of the role of women in the green economy. Their advocacy is especially critical for African nations facing the dual challenge of economic development and environmental conservation. As large-scale mining becomes more digitised and gears up to boost the production of copper, lithium, and other essential minerals needed for low-carbon energy transitions, there is a massive opportunity to include women.
Wemo hopes their model can be replicated across Africa, as all hands must be on the deck for lasting reforms in the continent's mining sector. As the conversation shifts to the future, Otieno becomes increasingly optimistic, seeing more women take on leadership roles in mining and becoming drivers of change.
