GENDER AND SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE LIVELIHOODS
INITIATIVE BY GOLDEN STAR OIL PALM PLANTATION
(THE GSOPP CASE )
October, 2008
Golden Star Resources Limited
Golden Star Resources Ltd.
Mary Ankomah Boakye BoatengGOLDEN STAR OIL PALM PLANTATIONS LTD
P O Box 16070 Airport Post OfficeAccra, Ghana
Tel – office (site): 233 362 20469Tel-mobile: 233-244 605880
Fax: 233-21 777 700Fax: 233 362 20180
Email: [email protected]
Golden Star Limited
Golden Star Resources Ltd.
Presentation Plan• GSR Mines Ltd• Mining issues in Ghana• GSR and the gender sensitive approach to sustainable
livelihoods• The case study: Golden Star Oil Palm Plantation
(GSOPP)– Objectives– Women’s involvement– Socio Economic Impact– Way forward/Vision
• Conclusion
Golden Star Limited
Golden Star Resources Ltd.
• Canadian international mining company with head office in Denver, Colorado
• Has 2 operating mines in Ghana:– Wassa mine– Bogoso/Prestea mines
Overview of Golden Star Resources Limited
Golden Star Resources Ltd.
Location in Ghana
Golden Star Limited
Bogoso/Prestea
Golden Star Resources Ltd.
Wassa Mine
Golden Star Resources Ltd.
• Mining Companies in Ghana are confronted with the realities of ASM
• Most prevalent in the Western Region of Ghana
• Associated with:– High health and occupational risks– Exploitation– Poverty
• Most vulnerable group are women
OVERVIEW ASM IN GHANA
Golden Star Limited
Golden Star Resources Ltd.
IMPACT OF MINING OPERATIONS ON WOMEN• Directly engaged in illegal activities
leaving children unattended.• Exposed and vulnerable to sex
trade• Women bear both the physical and
mental strain of mine development.• Women become more at risk of
impoverishment, particularly in women headed households.
• Women suffer active and often brutal discrimination in the workplace.
Golden Star Limited
Golden Star Resources Ltd.
Types/Forms of Sustainable Alternative Livelihood Associated with Mining in Ghana
• Agriculture (Mainly being: poultry and livestock, fish farming, local or community farms in the production of food crops to be self sustaining).
• Manufacturing-Skills Training (production of local cloths; batik, tie & dye, local handicraft for sale to tourists and others)
• Production ( of local soaps, creams and oils some edible)
Golden Star Limited
Golden Star Resources Ltd.
GSR’s gender sensitive approach• Premise:
– Gender defined as, the sexual categorization or characteristics differentiating masculinity and femininity and their roles are determined by cultural, social and economic facts which are learned by all women and men in all societies.
– Recognising that Gender roles are dynamic and change over time.
• GSR’s gender mainstreaming approach– Conscious effort to employ women to positions– Policies & procedures , management’s involvement– Training programmes for women (dump truck operators,
survey, line and pegging etc)
Golden Star Limited
Golden Star Resources Ltd.
GSR’s approach to Sustainable Livelihoods• Community forums – Community consultation Committees
(Including all stakeholders of Women (women leaders like queen mothers, women groups), Youth and Men representatives
• Empowering women to participate – being on all the sub-committees in the communities.
- Affirmative action in all Community Consultation Committees and the Community Mine Consultation Committee.
• Engaging and involving all stakeholders – Sensitization and training programs
Golden Star Limited
Golden Star Resources Ltd.
• Golden Star Oil Palm Plantations Limited (GSOPP) Initiative– Smallholder concept of oil palm development- Traditional authorities provide land and local people are
paid for their labour to develop the project. - GSOPP provides development capital and operating funds
(loans to smallholder farmers)- GSOPP receives 0.1% of GSR pre-tax profit & USD1 per
ounce of gold produced - GSOPP provides technical support- GSOPP purchases fruit- After 3 years, farmers will trained to operate the small
plots and will then be beneficiaries of plots (4 ha).
Objectives of GSOPP
Golden Star Limited
Golden Star Resources Ltd.
– Provide a lasting and positive economic effect as a result of contributions from mining;
– Poverty reduction through employment generation;
– Rehabilitation of tailings disposal facilities that contributes to the local economy for the long term.
Golden Star Limited
Golden Star Resources Ltd.
• Women’s Involvement– Traditional authorities provide land and local people are paid for
their labour to develop the project. – Conscious efforts are made Conscious efforts are made to employ women on the plantations and women are encouraged to employ women on the plantations and women are encouraged to cultivate vegetables and other food crops on the already to cultivate vegetables and other food crops on the already prepared lands and amongst the palms.prepared lands and amongst the palms.
- GSOPP provides development capital and operating funds (loans to smallholder farmers) – Implementing team led by a gender Implementing team led by a gender specialistspecialist
- GSOPP provides technical support – Conscious effort made to Conscious effort made to train women on all technical work (e.g. the fields as in survey, line train women on all technical work (e.g. the fields as in survey, line and pegging on the plantation) and pegging on the plantation)
- GSOPP purchases fruit – Women are selected as smallholder Women are selected as smallholder farmers and Proceeds of their fruits go directly to them farmers and Proceeds of their fruits go directly to them
- After 3 years, farmers will trained to operate the small plots and will then be beneficiaries of plots (4 ha) – 40% of beneficiaries are 40% of beneficiaries are women. Once women are selected they have on the job training.women. Once women are selected they have on the job training.
Golden Star Limited
Golden Star Resources Ltd.
WOMEN’S INVOLVEMENT
• Women involved in GSOPP planting operations. Statistics – 40%Statistics – 40%
• Sensitivity to both Sensitivity to both men & women’s men & women’s needsneeds
Golden Star Limited
Golden Star Resources Ltd.
WOMEN’S INVOLVEMENT
• Women groups undertaking vegetable cultivation under the oil palms.
Golden Star Limited
Golden Star Resources Ltd.
WOMEN’S INVOLVEMENT
• These women form part of over 300 employees engaged in carrying seedlings to the planting points.
• Planting of palms commenced on 6th July 2006.
Expected socio-economic and environmental impact of GSOPP
Golden Star Limited
Golden Star Resources Ltd.
– Provide a lasting and positive economic effect as a result of contributions from mining:- sustainability – farms are owned by sustainability – farms are owned by individual farmers. Lifespan of oil palm is 25yrs. Fruit harvest individual farmers. Lifespan of oil palm is 25yrs. Fruit harvest bi-weekly. Proceeds go directly to farmers. bi-weekly. Proceeds go directly to farmers.
– Poverty reduction through employment creation:- target 40% target 40% of women projectedof women projected
– Rehabilitation:- Providing an end-land use for tailings disposal Providing an end-land use for tailings disposal facilities that contributes to the local economy for the long facilities that contributes to the local economy for the long term. Instead of ordinary plants oil palm is used to reclaim term. Instead of ordinary plants oil palm is used to reclaim land. land.
– Gender mainstreaming/sensitivity – improved empowerment of – improved empowerment of womenwomen
Golden Star Limited
Golden Star Resources Ltd.
Way Forward/Vision
• GSOPP will develop a successful sustainable alternative livelihood project that demonstrates the benefits of partnerships with mining companies.
• Complete a cost-benefit analysis with a view to installing a palm oil processing plant
• Evaluate the option to manufacture bio-diesel.• Reduce the need for people to work on illegal
activities such as “Galamsey”
Golden Star Limited
Matured palm trees
Sericulture Fish FarmingGolden Star Resources Ltd.
Golden Star Limited
Matured Oil Palm Fruits
Sericulture Fish FarmingGolden Star Resources Ltd.
Golden Star Limited
Harvested Palm Fruits
Sericulture Fish FarmingGolden Star Resources Ltd.
Golden Star Limited
Palm Plantation-Bogoso
Sericulture Fish FarmingGolden Star Resources Ltd.
Golden Star Limited
Farmers at Work
Sericulture Fish FarmingGolden Star Resources Ltd.
Golden Star Limited
Farmer weeding her plot
Sericulture Fish FarmingGolden Star Resources Ltd.
Golden Star Limited
Palm Field/Plantation
Sericulture Fish FarmingGolden Star Resources Ltd.
Golden Star Limited
Thanks
Sericulture Fish FarmingGolden Star Resources Ltd.