From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
A group, Women in Mining in Nigeria (WIN), has decried low participation of women in mining saying the few women in the sector are being edged out of the game by gender-blind laws and by misogynists.
The group has thereby launched a club tagged “Girls for Mining (G4M) in secondary schools across Osun State.
The President of WIM, Engr. Janet Adeyemi, at the inauguration, said Nigeria will soon be left with only mining and agriculture, particularly at a time the country is witnessing the gradual passing away of oil and gas.
Represented by Engineer Banke Onoale, Adeyemi, encouraged the students drawn from different schools across the state to look into the potential in mining, promising that “any student of the G4M club who has decided to pursue a career in any mining-related courses will
be assisted to secure admission to study that course at any tertiary institution of her choice in Nigeria.
“When I look at statistics, of all the mainstream miners in Nigeria today, only 6.8% are women, the remaining 94% are men. So, the women in the mining sector today are a drop out of the ocean, and the few women in the sector are being edged out of the game by gender-blind laws and by misogynists.
“So the number of women in the sector will keep dropping. If we do nothing to pump female miners into the sector now, the women on the ground today will all be gone someday.”
Adeyemi said the group had agreed that “all students in the G4M club will regularly participate in inter-school quizzes, and debates. Winners will be awarded in each competition.
“All students of the G4M will go for annual excursions to mining sites, tourist sites, natural resources regulatory agencies or other places of interest in line with the overall intent of the G4M.
“Each student of the G4M club will stand a chance to travel abroad for an exchange visit, to tour mine sites, meet fellow students abroad and meet with high-profile female miners for mentorship and opportunities. All students of the G4M club will have mentors who shall guide them through their secondary education,” she added.
The Osun Coordinator of the group, Oyaniyi Oyekemi, who spoke through Andrew Catherine disclosed that ten secondary schools were drawn for the training to start the club in their various schools to enable other students to join the club.
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