Women’s Economic Empowerment

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Sophia Takuva

Center Director

Empowering women

AWOME works with women in mining and mining communities, our mission is to support women to achieve their full potential and to encourage and facilitate their active involvement in business, leadership and participation in the decision-making process. Bringing a change of mindset to society & empowering women to achieve gender equality. We believe healthy, educated and empowered women and girls can foster the changes needed to create empowered communities and consequently, a more sustainable and peaceful future for all, as envisioned by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“We are building capacities of women to embrace economic literacy and support and collaborate with grassroots women groups that participate and fight for social and economic development. Safeguarding women from vulnerability and establishing collaborations between women’s groups and financial institutions to enable women in mining business to access the necessary finance and credit for their mining operations.”

Women’s rights

AWOME seek to address numerous challenges faced by women throughout the life course, including lack of official birth registration, lack of quality care and barriers to participation in education and employment. Gender-based inequalities, harmful norms, discriminatory practices and violence persist in mining communities. Complex development challenges and shifting politics are threatening the health and rights of women and girls. Progress in addressing gender inequalities has been too slow,  in some areas progress is even being reversed to suit certain powerful groups.

We believe empowering women, girls and communities is an urgent priority requiring concerted action on several fronts, including to:

Eliminate harmful practices, discrimination and violence against women and girls
Adopt laws, policies and social norms that enable women’s social, economic and political participation and provide equal opportunities for women, girls and communities
Invest in social, behavioural and community engagement research, policies and programmes
Increase collaboration and integration across sectors;
ensure health policies and programmes are gender-responsive, rights-based and prioritize those most in need