Women in Mining Africa (WiM-Africa) will host a side event at the 12th Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD-12), organized under the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). The event will center on the Africa Responsible Minerals and Gender Index (ARMGI), aimed at measuring mineral sector outcomes for women and host communities. Dr. Comfort Asokoro-Ogaji, Executive Director of WiM-Africa, stated that ARMGI seeks to shift focus from mineral production and revenue to tangible social impact. She emphasized the need for measurable results in advancing gender-responsive governance in the extractive sector.
The forum, themed "Advancing Gender-Responsive Mineral Governance and Measurable Host Community Outcomes through ARMGI," will gather African institutions, private sector leaders, civil society, and development partners. Panel contributors will include representatives from the African Union Commission, mining firms, sustainability organizations, and environmental actors. Discussions will cover gender-responsive benefit-sharing, women's participation in mineral value chains, community accountability, and responsible minerals in the energy transition. ARMGI is described as an emerging accountability tool aligned with the SDGs, Agenda 2063, and the African Mining Vision. The side event supports ARFSD-12's overarching theme: "Turning the Tide: Transformative and Coordinated Actions for the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063."
Dr. Comfort Asokoro-Ogaji calls for measuring mineral wealth by impact on women, yet no timeline or pilot country is named for ARMGI's rollout. Without concrete implementation plans, the framework risks remaining a conceptual tool rather than a mechanism for change. Nigerian women in mining communities, particularly in states like Nasarawa and Kaduna, may see no immediate shift in how benefits are shared. The gap between advocacy and actionable rollout leaves host communities awaiting tangible gains.
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