‘Women Should Be Involved In Water Management’

Some of the participants

 

A Senior Water Management Officer at the Water Resources Commission’s Ankobra Basin Office, Madam Constance Aning, has stressed the need for women to be involved in the governance and management of water.

“When it comes to the governance and management of water, women should be actually involved. Women should be the focus when water decisions are being made,” she indicated.

She said, “This is because water actually affects women more.”

Madam Aning was speaking to DAILY GUIDE in an interview after a brief ceremony to mark this year’s World Water Day.

The programme, organised by Abosso Goldfields Limited, Damang Mine, was on the theme “Water and Gender”.

The participants included students from the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa, senior high school students, and members of a group known as Water and Sanitation (WATSAN) in the area.

The Operations Manager – Abosso Goldfields Limited, Sampson Arthur, noted that without water there is no growth story, no sustainability narrative and no future to negotiate.

He indicated that water sustains life, drives industry, shapes ecosystems, and ultimately defines the resilience of any society.

He noted that the theme for the celebration indicates that the discussions should move beyond infrastructure and compliance.

“The focus should be on people, particularly the role of women and girls in how water is accessed, managed, and sustained.

“The reality is clear. In matters of water, women are not merely participants, they are decision-makers.

“They are the custodians and, in many cases, the often-unseen backbone of water systems at both household and community levels,” he revealed.

He said, “At Damang Mine, we recognise that sustainable water management extends beyond a technical function.”

“It is a matter of governance, a core social responsibility and increasingly a critical leadership priority,” he added.

The Unit Manager of Environment at the Damang Mine, Dr. Desmond Asare, disclosed that mining operations relied heavily on water, particularly in mineral processing.

He, however, assured that Damang Mine continues to prioritise water conservation and responsible usage.

The Occupational Health and Safety Manager of the mine, Irene Aboagye-Akari, stated that how people manage water says a lot about who they are and the kind of future they are building.

She noted that the management of water is very effective when women are not on the sidelines but at the decision-making table in water governance.

Madam Aboagye-Akari added that safe water management is about protecting people, the ecosystems, and ensuring that every process designed today does not become tomorrow’s hazard.

She described the engagement initiated by the Damang Mine as not just an event, but a deliberate investment in awareness creation on the need to properly conserve and manage water.

From Emmanuel Opoku, Damang

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