Beyond the barriers: witnessing shifting gender dynamics in multinational mine jobs in Ghana

Abstract

Gender equality plays a very significant role in our socioeconomic development and corporate innovations. However, the multinational Ghanaian mining is dominated by men and a culture of masculinity. The current paper, therefore, studies the Ghanaian mines, exposes their homogeneous scopes, and examines the sociocultural barriers constraining effective participation of women in mine works. The paper further explores the transformations that have occasioned a shift in gender dynamics, leading to an increased participation of women in mines. The results of deploying a multiple case study, qualitative research design, and meta-narratives of the respondents, point to common prejudices, perceptions, and implicit stereotyped notions of gender roles in the mines, as the sociocultural factors constraining the effective participation of women in mine jobs. Beyond the barriers, the paper intuits a women’s revolution in the mines due to the collective efforts of mining companies and allied institutions, both adopting gender strategic measures such as the ‘ore solidarity movement’ gender mainstreaming in admission programs as well as gender equity-driven mining initiatives aimed at re-engineering a shift in gender dynamics of the mine jobs of Ghana. These change regimes among the mines imply inclusivity, de-feminization of poverty, a move towards achieving organizational modernization, competitiveness, and an assurance for gender equality-driven social innovative mining.

Keywords:

• Sociocultural
• barriers
• male-dominance
• shifting gender dynamics
• Ghanaian mines

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rufai Haruna Kilu

Rufai Haruna Kilu is a faculty member at the Department of Business Administration, University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) – Ghana. He is a Gender & Technology expert, trained at Lulea Technology University in Sweden. He has a wide range of research and teaching experience. His scholarly contribution has drawn collective attention to women miners, who are crossing barriers, and building bridges in a solidarized motion towards a shift in the historical male-dominant and masculinity cultures in Ghanaian mines.