A coalition of civil society organisations, CEPIL, Friends of the Nation, and Wacam, with support from Oxfam Ghana, has launched the Feminist Minerals Initiative (FMI) in the Central Region to address community grievances over the Ewoyaa Lithium Project.
The inception meeting, attended by traditional authorities, district officials, and affected residents, highlighted widespread concerns about Atlantic Lithium’s compensation practices, including the exclusion of charcoal-producing trees and informal livelihoods from valuation assessments.
Residents also reported procedural flaws, such as land surveys and farm clearings occurring before compensation is finalised, creating uncertainty over land access and income security.
Power imbalances between landowners, tenants, and the mining company were identified as a major barrier to fair negotiations, with participants calling for greater inclusion of women, youth, and vulnerable groups in decision-making.
While acknowledging existing dialogue committees, community members stressed the need for stronger grievance mechanisms and transparency.
The District Assembly expressed support for the initiative.
Proposed recommendations include transparent compensation assessments, enhanced participation by women and youth, recognition of diverse livelihoods, improved grievance handling, and learning visits to established mining communities such as Tarkwa and Obuasi.
The partners committed to legal awareness programs, FPIC dialogues, policy engagement, and community monitoring, with priority actions focused on strengthening consent processes, improving grievance documentation, and addressing power asymmetries to ensure rights-based engagement throughout the project lifecycle.
