Haut-Katanga: WIM Advocates for Inclusive Governance in the Mining Sector

A few days before DRC Mining Week, the Haut-Katanga branch of Women in Mining (WIM) organized a forum on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Lubumbashi, focused on transformational governance and the inclusion of women in the mining sector.

This first edition, held at the Pullman Lubumbashi Grand Karavia, brought together several stakeholders from the sector to discuss the role of women in the extractive industry.

Organized in partnership with the Chamber of Mines, the Federation of Enterprises of Congo (FEC), MMG, and Metorex, the forum aimed to strengthen commitments in favor of greater female participation in mining professions and decision-making positions.

Female Representation Remains Low

Speaking on the occasion, the president of WIM Haut-Katanga, Elyse Kalasa, who is also head of the social department at Ruashi Mining, welcomed the progress made in recent years while stressing that many challenges remain.

According to statistics presented during the discussions, women still represent less than 10% of the workforce in major industrial mining companies. This figure is far below the level observed in the banking sector, where women’s representation reaches nearly 30%.

However, women remain more present in artisanal and informal mining, where they reportedly make up between 40% and 50% of the workforce, often under difficult and precarious conditions.

Focusing on Technical Training

In response to this situation, several proposals were discussed to improve women’s inclusion in the mining value chain. Speakers particularly emphasized the need to encourage young girls to pursue scientific and technical fields.

Elyse Kalasa therefore called on parents to further promote studies in engineering, geology, and metallurgy among young girls in order to facilitate their access to supervisory and leadership positions.

Financing and Subcontracting at the Center of the Debate

The discussions also focused on the difficulties faced by women entrepreneurs in accessing financing and subcontracting opportunities in the mining sector.

The provincial Minister of Gender called on several mining groups, including Glencore and Tenke Fungurume Mining, to prioritize skills rather than gender in the awarding of contracts and financial support.

MB and Zoom Eco

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