The Minerals Income and Investment Fund (MIIF) announced a GH¢20 million scholarship programme to empower women in mining communities.
The Schorlaship Scheme is in collaboration with the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT).
It seeks to increase female participation in a male-dominated industry.
It also forms part of MIIF’s broader strategy to align human resource development with government policies and the fund’s objectives.
Speaking at the launch, MIIF CEO Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng said there was a need to invest in human capital alongside financial investments in the mining sector.
“We believe that just investing in equity, investing in the value chain etc. without investing in human capacity or human development will really just take us nowhere; you know, we hit a wall at a point in time,” Mr. Koranteng stated.
He disclosed that the scholarship programme aims to support up to 100 women annually from needy families in mining communities, focusing on bright students pursuing STEM course – particularly in engineering and metallurgy.
“There’s a huge gender disparity. If you look at mining, for example, you have just about 9 percent of women in mining, especially when it comes to mainstream mining. You look at the C-suite of mining, it’s even less than 9 percent.”
He said increased female participation in the sector leads to greater value creation.
“If you do research, it will tell you that the more you invest in women, the more you have women in the sector, the more value is created for the sector”.
The MIIF-UMaT Women in Mining Scholarship Scheme is not just about addressing gender inequity; it’s also a strategic investment in Ghana’s future.
The CEO stressed the importance of human capital in national development, particularly in the context of natural resource management.
“As we see in the mining sector, the resources are good – but the resources do not develop a nation. It is brains that develop a nation,” Koranteng asserted.
“We’re looking at whether we can support other universities like the University of Ghana and the University of Science and Technology.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
