- The work of the Burkina Faso Mining Women’s Association (l’Association des femmes du secteur minier du Burkina Faso – AFEMIB)
- Essakane S.A.: a mining company taking steps to promote gender inclusion
Burkina Faso has a political and legal framework conducive to the full participation of women in socio-economic development. The national gender policy, adopted in 2009, is the main framework for promoting equal opportunities between men and women. On this basis, a guide to integrating gender issues into sectoral policies has been drawn up, as a strategic planning and governance tool for public action to facilitate the participation of men and women in Burkina Faso’s development process. This study, prepared by Elie Kabore on behalf of the PQCV Secretariat and made possible thanks to the support of the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, explains 2 concrete cases.
Firstly, the experience of the Association of Women in the Mining Sector of Burkina Faso (l’Association des femmes du secteur minier du Burkina Faso – AFEMIB) is one of these major players: it brings together exclusively women, working either in the public administration, in mining companies or in companies supplying mining goods and services. The organisation is currently lobbying for women to be taken into account in communal and regional development plans and, in this case, in the governance of the Local development mining fund (Fonds minier de développement local – FMDL), so that women are also included.
Secondly, Essakane S.A., a mining company that is taking steps to promote gender inclusion. It has adopted initiatives in favour of pregnant and nursing women. Fatoumata Barry, a lawyer, Adèle Ouédraogo, a photographer in the communications department, and Dicko Mariam, a member of the service staff, have been granted 14 months’ “exceptional” maternity leave. They believe that this arrangement is beneficial for both the woman and her newborn child, as they know that they will retain their jobs at the end of the leave. According to them, these measures guarantee women job security and promote their professional development.
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