A scholarship programme targeting young women from Ghana’s mining communities is attracting attention from other African countries looking to address gender disparities in their technical education sectors, according to advocates who say the initiative could serve as a replicable model across mineral-rich regions.
The Women in Mining Communities (WomCom) Scholarship scheme, launched by the Minerals Income Investment Fund in June 2024, has disbursed GH₵460,000 to 45 female students at the University of Mines and Technology in Tarkwa, focusing on those pursuing engineering and other STEM disciplines. The programme specifically targets students from underserved mining areas where poverty levels typically exceed national averages.
Dr Georgette Barnes Sakyi-Addo, President of Women in Mining Ghana, described the initiative as one of the country’s most impactful gender equity efforts within the mining sector. She noted that several African nations are studying the Ghanaian approach as they design similar interventions for their own resource-rich communities, though she didn’t specify which countries or how advanced those discussions are.
The scholarship addresses a persistent gender imbalance in Ghana’s technical sectors. Women account for just 24% of professionals in STEM-related fields nationwide, according to the 2024 Ghana Statistical Service Report, with representation dropping even lower in engineering and computer science. The mining industry shows starker disparities: a 2023 Ghana Chamber of Mines study found women constituting only 10% of the large-scale mining workforce.
In September, 43 undergraduate recipients received GH₵10,000 each, while two postgraduate students were awarded GH₵15,000 to cover tuition, accommodation and academic expenses. The selection process drew over 100 applications and was overseen by a five-member committee comprising representatives from MIIF and UMaT.
What distinguishes this round is the private sector participation. OmniBSIC Bank, Access Bank, Zijin Golden Ridge Ltd, Zenith Bank, First Atlantic Bank, First Bank and Procus Ghana Limited all contributed funding as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives, marking what organizers describe as the first time corporate Ghana has collectively backed such a programme.
The involvement of mining companies like Zijin Golden Ridge, which operates in Ghana’s gold sector, suggests industry recognition that addressing the gender gap could help address broader workforce development challenges. Whether this corporate participation continues in future scholarship cycles will likely depend on how effectively the programme translates into measurable outcomes for both students and contributing companies.
The scheme forms part of MIIF’s broader CSR strategy, targeting financially challenged students who demonstrate academic merit but lack resources to pursue higher education. By concentrating on mining communities, the fund aims to create pathways for local residents to gain technical expertise in the industry that shapes their regional economies.
Whether the WomCom model proves genuinely replicable across Africa will depend on several factors, including the availability of similar funding mechanisms in other countries, the existence of technical universities in mining regions, and sustained corporate sector willingness to invest in long-term human capital development rather than one-off contributions.
MIIF has positioned the programme as contributing to national development goals by building a pipeline of female engineers, scientists and mining professionals. The real test will come when these graduates enter the job market and whether mining companies follow through by actively recruiting and retaining the women they’ve helped educate.
