The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Ghana is urging the Government of Ghana and civil society organizations (CSOs) to adopt a gender-sensitive and rights-based approach in fighting galamsey.
FIDA Ghana’s statement follows a previous press release issued in the aftermath of a tragic anti-galamsey operation that claimed the lives of eight individuals.
The organization describes the incident as a painful reminder of the devastating consequences illegal mining continues to have on human life, communities, and the environment. While the dialogue is seen as a critical step to addressing galamsey, FIDA Ghana warns that failing to account for its gendered impact would result in incomplete and ineffective solutions.
According to FIDA Ghana, illegal mining disproportionately affects women and children, especially in rural and mining communities. Women often suffer the loss of livelihoods due to the destruction of farmlands and the contamination of essential water bodies, deepening already existing economic inequalities.
Children, on the other hand, are frequently exposed to hazardous environments, deprived of access to quality education and healthcare, and in some cases exploited through child labor. These realities highlight the urgent need for policies and interventions that protect women’s economic rights, ensure children’s welfare, and provide sustainable alternatives for affected families.
The organization further stressed the importance of including women in decision-making processes at both the community and national levels, particularly in discussions surrounding natural resource management and environmental protection. Without the active participation of women, FIDA argues, any efforts to resolve the crisis will fall short of being truly representative or effective. Moreover, the organization emphasized the need for stricter enforcement of laws that hold individuals and entities accountable for environmental degradation and human rights abuses linked to illegal mining activities.
FIDA Ghana maintains that the galamsey crisis is not solely an environmental or economic issue, but fundamentally a matter of human rights and gender justice. As such, the organization is calling on the Government of Ghana and all participating CSOs to ensure that the experiences, voices, and rights of women and children remain central to both the dialogue and the solutions that emerge from it. The future of the nation, FIDA insists, depends on urgent, inclusive, and sustainable action that leaves no one behind.
