Renowned Ghanaian musician, Rocky Dawuni, has called for a more nuanced understanding of the country’s galamsey crisis, highlighting the human stories behind the environmental destruction.
He explained that there was a need to look beyond the surface-level issues surrounding galamsey. Dawuni stressed that effectively addressing the menace required a holistic approach that takes into account both indigenous and commercial actors, proper waste management, and the provision of alternative livelihoods for those affected.
Dawuni emphasised the need for empathy and understanding in tackling the galamsey issue, prioritising both human well-being and environmental sustainability.
“Women involved in the galamsey business are mothers, sisters, and daughters trying to provide for their families and not malicious actors, but individuals caught in a cycle of poverty,” Dawuni said.
He made these comments in an interview with the Daily Graphic after a presentation ceremony of a photograph from the “Unearthing the Crown” photo exhibition, which took place at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra.
Exhibition
The exhibition showcased the stories of women involved in galamsey and aimed to shed light on the human dimensions of galamsey, highlighting the risks and challenges faced by women in that sector.
Founder of the Justice Tank, a Ghana-based NGO that aims to support women in galamsey by providing economic empowerment initiatives, Milani Minella, emphasised that economic empowerment is key to addressing poverty and galamsey.
“You have to give people choices to make money, education to make money, a skill set, and a market,” she stated.
“Women in galamsey need support, not stigma,” Minella added.
A documentary photographer from the US, Marius Smiejek, who spent seven years documenting the lives of women in galamsey, emphasised that the women were not criminals, but rather mothers and caregivers trying to support their families.
“They are the core of the Ghanaian society trying to make a better future for their children, and we should understand why they are in this situation, not judge them,” Marius Smiejek said.
He said, “We need to listen to their stories, understand their struggles, and support them.
We cannot judge them from a distance; we need to be there, to understand what drives them to work in such harsh conditions.”
Women’s contribution
Acting Executive Director of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, Dr Collins R. Nunyameh, praised the role of women in Ghana’s development, highlighting their contributions to the country’s struggle for economic independence.
He emphasised that the story of Ghana’s gold is also a story of women’s empowerment and the assertion of natural resource sovereignty.
He noted that Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president, recognised the importance of women in the country’s development and mobilised them for the cause.
The director thanked the organisers of the “Unearthing Her Crown” exhibition for partnering with the Nkrumah Mausoleum to showcase the stories of women involved in galamsey, highlighting the importance of documenting the stories for future generations.
He quoted Nkrumah’s saying, “Where there is economic dependence, there is no freedom,” emphasising the need for Ghana to harness its natural resources to achieve economic independence.
