Women in Mining Ghana (WIM Ghana) has announced a new leadership team following elections held during a virtual meeting on Thursday, November 13, 2025.
The transition marks a significant moment for the advocacy organisation, which has spent more than a decade promoting the inclusion and advancement of women in the country’s mining sector.
Senior Geotechnical Engineer Rosemary Oppong Kwasie has been elected President, taking over from industry advocate Dr Georgette Barnes Sakyi-Addo, who has led the group since 2015.
Oppong Kwasie, who has worked on major mining and infrastructure projects across West Africa, said the role comes with both weight and opportunity.
“Leading Women In Mining Ghana is both a privilege and a responsibility. We’ve seen tremendous progress in recent years, and I’m committed to building on that foundation – ensuring more women not only enter the mining sector but thrive in it. Our focus will be on practical support: mentorship, skills development, and creating pathways for women at every level of the industry,” she said.
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Oppong Kwasie has worked with SLR Consulting Ghana Limited and previously with Sahara Natural Resources and Coffey Mining.
She is also the founder of Geomaven Services, a geological services firm operating across Ghana and parts of Africa.
The newly elected team includes Rosemary Okla, a GIS specialist at the Ghana Geological Survey Authority, as First Vice President.
Okla has led initiatives supporting business diversification for artisanal and small-scale miners, including jewellery production using development minerals.
Dr Yvonne Loh, a senior lecturer and hydrogeologist at the University of Ghana, has been appointed Second Vice President. Her research focuses on groundwater systems and the environmental impacts of mining, and she has advocated for stronger professional oversight in the sector.
Other elected officers are Barbara Owusu Konadu (General Secretary), Evelyn Glover (Treasurer), Ellen Korley (Deputy Finance), Hillary Nyameba Tawia-Amissah (Deputy Treasurer), Angie Tetteh (Organising and Events Secretary) and Gloria Bentil Mensah (Deputy Organising and Events Secretary).
Outgoing president Dr Barnes said the organisation had grown steadily over the past decade, strengthening its network and influence across the sector.
“It has been an honour to serve Women In Mining Ghana and to witness the growth of this movement. We’ve built something meaningful: a network that truly supports and empowers women across the mining value chain. I’m confident the new leadership will take the organisation to even greater heights,” she said.
WIM Ghana has played a key advocacy role since 2012, offering training, mentorship and research to support women working in exploration, extraction and mineral processing. Women currently make up about 10% of the workforce in Ghana’s large-scale mining sector, according to the Ghana Chamber of Mines’ 2023 demographic study.
The leadership transition comes at a time of heightened debate around artisanal mining, environmental sustainability and local participation in the mining industry.
The new executives are expected to navigate these sector-wide pressures while continuing the organisation’s core mission of improving representation and opportunities for women in one of Ghana’s most critical economic sectors.
SP/MA
