Boateng Sustainable Livelihoods

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


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


• 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


Location in Ghana

Golden Star Limited

Bogoso/Prestea


Wassa Mine


• 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


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


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


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


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 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


– 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


• 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


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



• Women groups undertaking vegetable cultivation under the oil palms.

Golden Star Limited



• 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


– 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


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


Golden Star Limited

Harvested Palm Fruits


Golden Star Limited

Palm Plantation-Bogoso


Golden Star Limited

Farmers at Work


Golden Star Limited

Farmer weeding her plot


Golden Star Limited

Palm Field/Plantation


Golden Star Limited

Thanks


Business

Boateng Sustainable Livelihoods