UN Forum Spotlights WiM-Africa’s Push For Gender-Driven Mineral Governance Framework

At the forthcoming 12th Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD-12), Women in Mining Africa (WiM-Africa) will be taking a bold step onto the continental stage as it convenes an official side event, a key platform under the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), to drive conversations around a transformative new framework — the Africa Responsible Minerals & Gender Index (ARMGI).

The session, themed “Advancing Gender-Responsive Mineral Governance and Measurable Host Community Outcomes through ARMGI,” is expected to draw a broad coalition of stakeholders, including African institutions, private sector leaders, development partners, environmental advocates, and civil society actors. The event aims to bridge the long-standing gap between policy commitments in Africa’s extractive sector and tangible outcomes for communities—especially women.

At the heart of the initiative is ARMGI, an emerging accountability tool designed to strengthen transparency, track progress, and ensure that Africa’s vast mineral resources translate into inclusive and measurable development gains.

The framework aligns closely with continental and global benchmarks such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Agenda 2063, and the African Mining Vision.
But beyond the technical framing of policy and governance, WiM-Africa is pushing a more human-centered narrative—one that places women and host communities at the center of extractive industry outcomes.

This perspective was strongly underscored by the Executive Director of WiM-Africa, Dr. Comfort Asokoro-Ogaji, who framed the urgency of the initiative in clear and compelling terms.
“Africa’s mineral wealth must be measured not only by production and revenues, but by outcomes for women and communities. ARMGI seeks to help move us from commitments to measurable impact,” she stated.

Her remarks capture a growing consensus that traditional metrics—focused largely on output and revenue—have failed to adequately reflect the lived realities of communities where mining activities take place. For Dr. Asokoro-Ogaji, the introduction of ARMGI represents a decisive shift toward accountability, where success is defined not just by economic gains, but by social equity and inclusion.

The WiM-Africa side event is also expected to deepen engagement around the practical implementation of ARMGI. Panel discussions will explore key themes such as gender-responsive benefit-sharing, expanding women’s participation across mineral value chains, strengthening community-centered accountability systems, and navigating the role of responsible minerals in the global energy transition.

Importantly, the forum will also examine actionable pathways for piloting ARMGI across African countries, signaling that the framework is not merely conceptual but designed for real-world application.
The event aligns with the broader ARFSD-12 theme, “Turning the Tide: Transformative and Coordinated Actions for the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063,” reinforcing the urgency for integrated and results-driven approaches to development across the continent.

With contributions expected from institutions such as the African Union Commission, alongside industry operators and sustainability partners, the session is poised to catalyze a new phase of collaboration in Africa’s extractive sector—one that prioritizes inclusivity, accountability, and measurable impact.

As momentum builds around ARMGI, WiM-Africa’s initiative signals a clear direction of travel: Africa’s mineral future must not only be profitable but also equitable, transparent, and responsive to the needs of its people—especially women, who have historically been marginalized within the sector.

In elevating this conversation at a high-level UN forum, Dr. Asokoro-Ogaji and WiM-Africa are not just introducing a framework; they are challenging the continent to rethink how it defines value in one of its most critical industries.