Our People Women in mining

Women in mining

Women in mining … Action!

From Engineering, Metallurgy and Mining to Mineral Resource, Finance and Protection Services, women are represented in all departments at our Tarkwa and Damang mines. Our female employees contribute significantly towards the achievement of our targets and strategic objectives.

Gold Fields Ghana boasts some of the best female talents in the mining industry in Ghana. The company continues to promote gender equality in the workplace by providing all employees with equal opportunities and outcomes, including equal remuneration for work of equal or comparable value.

We make a conscious effort to improve female representation in the workforce by removing barriers and providing full and genuine access to all occupations for women, including leadership roles. Increasing the number of females is a key requirement of our Balance Scorecards, which sets yearly diversity targets.

Over the past five years, we have also prioritised recruitment of female employees. As such, the total female representation in the company’s core workforce continues to improve steadily, reaching 10% in 2019 though we have a long way to go. Similarly, female representation in management has improved, with six additional women joining the D and E Bands in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

In 2017, we appointed our first female metallurgical manager. Catherine Kuupol Kuutor, who has over 16 years of experience in mineral processing, heads the Metallurgical Department of our Damang mine and is a role model for our other female employees.

Read about one of our female trainee metallurgists, who was recently employed by our Damang mine:

The Beginning of a Thrilling Career at Gold Fields
Women in Mining (WIM) at Gold Fields Ghana

Our vision

To be self-inspired women, who deliver professionally and ethically to their full capacity and capability.

To build a strong network for the development, empowerment and advancement of women, and to inspire Ghana’s girls.

WIM leadership

MARTHA APPIAH MENSAH Human Resources Manager – Tarkwa Mine
FLORENCE ANSERE-BIOH Community Affairs Manager – Tarkwa Mine
BERNICE ARMAH Manager – Finance Shared Services
CATHERINE KUUPOL KUUTOR Acting General Manager - Damang Mine
ABDEL-RAZAK YAKUBU Community Affairs Manager – Damang Mine
ESTHER PEPRAH NYAVEH Inventory Controller, Supply Chain – Damang Mine
LINDA DOE Senior Database Geologist – Damang Mine
What we do
  • Training and networking for employees
  • Advocacy and implementation of gender diversity and inclusion strategies
  • Donations to hospitals, prisons, orphanages, single parents, widows and less privileged – but academically achieving – girls in our host communities
  • Visits to senior high schools in host communities to inspire and empower female students
  • Wellbeing and health checks such as breast cancer and cervical screening
  • Recreational activities such as friendly football matches
Breast cancer awareness month – 2020