Dr Muza Gondwe, a partnership facilitator in mining and sustainability, gets satisfaction from helping communities make a difference.
Having come to Australia as an international student from Malawi, Muza has a PhD in Science Communication from the University of Western Australia and is currently a program officer at the BHP Foundation.
Her work has involved designing, delivering and evaluating international capacity building programs for government as well as for academic, civil society and industry representatives. Countries Muza has worked with include Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Philippines, Zambia, Ghana and Nigeria.
A passionate advocate of increasing diversity and inclusion, in particular Muza wants women with African backgrounds to have more opportunities and fairer involvement in the mining industry.
“I want to see more women on mining boards where they will make a difference, and for women to have their potential recognised across the industry.”
Muza has helped set up mentoring programs, supported study tours and volunteers with the Association of Women in Mining in Africa (AWIMA) to help women gain more economic benefit from the mining sector.
AWIMA, created as a network for women in mining, oil and gas associations, is empowering all women in the African extractive sector.
As an advisor for the AWIMA Jewellery Project, Muza works to connect women across the African continent in the production and sale of jewellery, sharing the value fairly along the supply chain.
“Often programs want to focus on building capacity. So many women have that already—what we need is opportunities to have voice and agency in being industry leaders and growing our businesses.
“When we are successful, everyone benefits."
“It's an exciting time globally and in Australia for women and women of colour, where some doors are slowly opening.
“We need to push them wide open.”