Wacam, through its Feminist Mining Initiative (FMI) and in collaboration with Friends of the Nation (FoN) and the Centre for Public Interest Law (CEPIL), has empowered women in seven communities in the Ewoyaa Lithium Project area to participate in decision-making processes affecting their communities actively.
The initiative saw the organisation of two grassroots forums at Krofu and Ewoyaa in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankee (AAK) District of the Central Region, on September 3 and 4, 2026, respectively.
The forums, which built on earlier focus group discussions that identified critical information gaps among women, sought to strengthen community mobilisation, particularly among women, on leadership and the need for active participation in decisions relating to mineral exploitation.
Held for about 100 community members, mainly women, the engagements drew participants from Ewoyaa, Abonko, Anokyi, Afrangua, Krofu, Ansaadze and Krampakrom.
The Associate Executive Director of Wacam, Mrs. Hannah Owusu-Koranteng, who led discussions on “Mining and Development”, educated participants on the effects and benefits of mining and the importance of land, stressing the need for women to be involved in decisions on mineral exploitation as they are disproportionately affected.
The Technical Director of Wacam, Lawyer Kwaku Afari, took 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 key concerns raised by community members were delays in compensation payments, moratorium on properties, and the benefits expected to accrue from lithium exploitation.
The forums also created an avenue for peer learning and sharing, with community members from Ayanfuri and Breman-Brofoyedur in the Upper Denkyira West District and Kenyasi in the Ahafo Region – communities affected by the operations of Perseus Mining Ghana Limited and Newmont Ghana Gold Company Limited – sharing their experiences, including success stories, challenges and demands for responsible mining.
For participants from the seven Ewoyaa lithium communities, the engagements provided a vital opportunity to draw practical lessons from mining realities in other parts of the country.
The forums form part of the broader FMI, which seeks to strengthen community participation, improve accountability in Ghana’s critical minerals sector and ensure meaningful inclusion of women, youth, and vulnerable groups in decisions on lithium extraction.
With Ghana having approved its first lithium mining lease for the Ewoyaa project, the engagements are considered critical to ensuring that community voices, especially those of women, are heard and factored into the process of securing a social licence to operate.
By Prosper Kwaku Selassy Agbitor
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