Join us for a conversation on the impact of COVID-19 on African women in artisanal and large scale mining, business and government and a discussion on strategies for a way forward.
Thursday June 4th, 2020 3pm London time – English webinar
Register https://bit.ly/2LYXpVu for the English webinar
Friday June 5th, 2020 3pm London time – French webinar
Register https://bit.ly/36OyPA9 for the French webinar
Profiles of Speakers
Professor Nellie Mutemeri, Mining Practice Lead, MutConsult (moderator)
Professor Nellie Mutemeri holds a PhD in Geology and is an Associate Professor with the University of Witwatersrand. She has worked extensively in the mining sector with experience in sustainability, artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), social impacts, mining policy & governance, legislation and strategy, responsible supply chains and ethical audits. She currently sits on the Board of the Diamond Development Initiative, and is also a member of the UNESCO Council for International Geosciences Council Programme. Professor Mutemeri has worked and consulted for: AngloGold Ashanti, DFID, UNEP, Oxfam, Action Aid, USAID, World Bank, BGR, Cardno Emerging Markets, Conservation International and IBI International.
Georgette Sakyi Barnes Addo, President, Association of Women in Mining Ghana
Georgette is the Founder and Executive Director of Georgette Barnes Ltd., a Ghanaian drilling and mining supplies company based in Accra, Ghana. She was awarded 2018 Female Entrepreneur of the Year by Invest in Africa (IIA). She was selected as one of the 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining by Women in Mining – UK in (2016). She is President of Women in Mining (WIM) Ghana and Co-founder of Accra Mining Network. Georgette holds a BA in French and Linguistics, and a Graduate Diploma in Communications from the University of Ghana.
Lindi Nakedi, Managing Director, Gubhani Exploration, South Africa
Lindiwe Nakedi has over 10 years’ experience in the surface core drilling industry and is Owner and Managing Director of Gubhani Exploration a 100% black female owned drilling company. The main activity of Gubhani is surface exploration diamond drilling and carrying out geotechnical drilling and investigations across the full commodities spectrum. It has drilled for companies such as Coal of Africa (Now MC Mining), Exxaro, Nkomati Mine of ARM, De Beers and currently for South32(South African Energy Coal). She served as Chairperson of Women in Mining SA (WiMSA) in 2017 and 2018 and now Patron Liaison in the Organisation. In 2018 Lindi was selected as one of Top 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining by Women In Mining UK; making her one of out of 16 women picked in South Africa. She was also instrumental in ensuring that more female speakers and panellists are added onto platforms such as the Africa Mining Indaba 2019 where the conference celebrated being the first mining conference to have 35% of its speakers and panellists as well as moderators being women! Her passion is in driving diversity and inclusion in the mining sector to ensure that we reach a 50/50 gender split in the industry.
Amina Tahiru, Chief Executive Officer, AC Zenon, Ghana
Dr. Amina Tahiru was born in Accra on 6th August 1974. She attended primary and elementary school at Badariya Islamic school in Tamale and moved back to Accra in 1992. In 1999, she joined a Spanish company called Transglobal international as a project coordinator in Ghana. In 2002, she started buying gold in Bolgatanga in the U/E region on behalf of a Dubai based refinery call Kaloti. In 2003 with funding from the EU mining sector support unit, she established an NGO called ‘Women Can’ to assist and create awareness of the dangers women face in the small scale mining industry. In 2003, she registered MINATA Ventures, the same year she attended a feeder-road engineering programme in Koforidua. In 2006, she acquired a mining lease from the Ghana Minerals Commission under Zenon Investment limited in order to have a better understanding of what her female colleagues were going through and she never looked back since. She is currently the CEO of Zenon Investment limited, Ghana. She hopes and prays that her short story will inspire young women to engage in the mining industry.
Pastor Pauline Mundia, General Secretary, Association of Zambian Women in Mining & Vice President of the Federation of Small Scale Mining Associations of Zambia
Pauline Sialumba Mundia worked as a personal secretary for 14 years in both government and private sector. In 1987, she formed Chipazuba company with the sole purpose of mining amethyst in Zambia. In 1990, she stopped work and started managing the mine full-time up to date. In 1995, the Zambian government appointed her as the first woman board member of Kariba Minerals Limited the biggest amethyst mine in Zambia and Africa. She was elected treasurer for the Association of Zambian Women in Mining in 1997. In 2001, she was elected first woman Chairperson for Kalomo Miners Association. In 2002, she was appointed to the steering committee for EU Mining Sector Diversification Programme – an ASM project. In the same year, she served as the first woman steering committee member of the World Bank (gemstone project). Following from that in 2008, she was elected the first President of Federation of Small Scale Mining Associations of Zambia and stepped down in 2011. She also serves as Board Member of the Zambia Extractive Council representing the interest of artisanal miners and also is the Vice President of Association of African in Women in Africa Mining – Southern African Chapter.
Zenzi Awases, President, Women in Mining Namibia
Zenzi is a geologist with 15 years’ experience. She started her career as a graduate geologist in 2005. Notable career highlights include exploring and mining fluvial, alluvial and deflation diamonds deposits. In 2012, she expanded her experience to include marine mining of a paleo-placer diamond deposit. She holds a B.Tech (Geology) from the Tshwane University of Technology, B.Sci (Honors) in Geology from the University of Stellenbosch and a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management and Administration from the University of Stellenbosch Business School.
Stella Opakas, Director Mineral Resources, Turkana County, Kenya
Stella is a graduate of Chemical Engineering from the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas, Moscow, Russia. She has worked for Kenol Kobil, National Oil Corporation of Kenya and Kenya Petroleum Refineries.
