At celebration of Women’s Day: Mines ministry women tasked to assume key role in realisation of mining projects.

The call was made during a cocktail offered by the Interim MINMIDT boss, Prof Fuh Calistus Gentry.
The event was part of the celebration of the 2024 edition of the International Women’s Day. This year’s Women’s Day was commemorated under the theme: “Invest in Women: Accelerate progress”.
The cocktail was organised at the end of Women’s Day parade at the 20th May Boulevard in Yaounde. It was attended by female staff of the ministry drawn from different parts of the country.
Minister Fuh Calistus Gentry was accompanied during the ceremony by his wife, Melanie Gentry.
While addressing his female staff, the minister lauded the women for their involvement and strategic role played especially in 2023 that saw the effective start of key mining projects in the country. 
“We came to encourage the women and to thank them very much because they have been a very important part of the effective start of mining projects in Cameroon,” Prof Fuh said. 
The minister also called on the female staff to redouble their efforts at their respective levels towards ensuring the country produces its first iron ore exportation in the next couple of months ahead.
“We are very proud and we have listened to the complaints of the women. We want to assure them that we will involve them more at higher levels/. Though some are already directors, regional and divisional delegates, we will increase their participation in the governance of the ministry,” the minister assured.

Special call to the women
In the next few months, the ministry will organise the 4th edition of the Cameroon International Mining and Exhibitions Convention, CIMEC.
CIMEC which will bring together national and international investors, mining professionals and multiple stakeholders, is aimed making Cameroon a welcoming and an international benchmark exchange and negotiation platform in the mining sector.
The convention which will run from May 22 to 24 in Yaounde, has been placed on the theme: “Transition from geological potential to the production of mining deposits as a means of strengthening economic growth in the sub-region”.
CIMEC will be held jointly with the organisation of African, the Caribbean and the Pacific States, OACPS, Council of Ministers, which is geared towards studying the report and recommendations made during the OACPS meeting of experts on vital minerals necessary for energy transition.
“We also call on them to take a full role in the two big events that the ministry is hosting simultaneously. We want to wish them a wonderful day and assure them that their role at the Ministry of Mines cannot be overemphasised,” the minister reiterated. 
Announcing that over 60 ministers across the world are expected to be in Cameroon for the convention, Prof Calistus emphasised that it will be a unique opportunity to present the new status of Cameroon as a mineral producing country.
 

Enter Gender Focal Point
Going by the Gender Focal Point at MINMIDT, Nkoh Rosette, much has been done already at the ministry to see that women are given equal opportunities. 
She, however, noted that much is still being expect to reach the 50/50 bench line of the United Nations. 
“At the moment, out the 10 Regional Delegates, there’s only one woman and five women out of 58 divisional delegates,” Nkoh told The Guardian Post.
“The minister has promised us more involvement in all the sectors of our ministry, be it mining, industries or technological development there will be more women,” she added. 
MINMIDT Gender Focal Point, however, emphasised that female staff of the ministry should seize every opportunity to empower themselves and to be ready always for any task assign to them by the hierarchy. 
“We think that we need to play our part to be at the best of our work and to be prepared to match up our expectations,” she concluded.