BCM Women in Mining Chapter in Accra unveiled

The President of Women in Mining Ghana, Dr. Georgette Barnes Sakyi-Addo, has officially inaugurated the BCM Women in Mining Chapter in Accra with a call for women to excel in their profession irrespective of the challenges.

She commended the management of BCM for creating an enabling and cordial environment for the establishment of a Women in Mining Chapter.

The Ghana Chamber of Mines' annual industry demographic study in 2023 revealed that women represent approximately 10% of the total workforce in the large-scale mining sector.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the BCM Women in Mining Chapter in Accra on Friday (31 May), Sakyi-Addo said the formation of the chapter plays a crucial role in driving organizational growth.

"The Women in Mining Chapters play a crucial role in driving growth in organizations. Having a vibrant chapter helps deal with a lot of issues; sometimes the chapters act as a source of research, because when we are organized like that, it is easy to find out what is happening and find solutions.

"I wish that we will get to a point where there are enough women, where the mining sector will be inclusive and we don’t need to have Women in Mining groups."

"But for now we are working on more participation of women in the sector. For those who come on board, what is it that makes them not stay, and finding solutions to those issues? For me, this is also an economic empowerment issue. The natural resources belong to Ghana, and if your daughter can get a job there, you know she is going to get good pay and training and some form of security," she said.

On her part, the Deputy Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, Penny Dennis, commended BCM for making the formation of the Chapter a reality.

"It is absolutely delightful to be at the launch of the BCM's Women in Mining Chapter today. We have been a strong advocate for the Women in Mining Ghana network.

It is a really important network; we have had the privilege of hosting a breakfast on International Women's Day for a couple of years now, but more importantly, being able to support their mentoring programme."

President of the newly inaugurated BCM Women in Mining Chapter, Ama Duose-Bansah, said the formation of the chapter is a demonstration of BCM's commitment to women empowerment.

"It is actually a good initiative, one that we are all happy about because it shows that the company is going to support women's empowerment."

"Our vision is to encourage more women to be bold and come forward to join the extractive sector, not just mining but oil and gas, which are fields dominated by men," Duose-Bansah said.

The event was attended by dignitaries, including representatives from the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Minerals Commission, Women in Mining Ghana, and the Ghana Mine Workers Union.

About BCM:

BCM, a global civil earthworks and surface mining contractor based in Ghana, West Africa, has been operating for nearly 100 years, originally as “Harold List and Sons” in the 1950s, and then as Bayswater Contracting.

BCM has a strong presence in the region and has established a reputation as an industry leader in earthworks and surface mining contracting. The company has extensive international experience in bulk and detailed earthworks for construction and mining projects and has combined civil earthworks skills with open pit mining skills since 1994, often undertaking large-scale construction earthworks projects using medium-sized mining plant and equipment.

BCM has expanded throughout West Africa, Tanzania, Central Asia, and Jordan, working on contracts in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, as well as large-scale oil shale mining projects in Jordan with a local partner. The company has a large and loyal workforce, including expatriates and national labor force, trained from apprentices to skilled employees.