RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS CONDUCT IN THE EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES: PROSPECT OF RESPECTING WOMEN'S HUMAN RIGHTS IN GHANA

Abstract

Business operations in the extractive industries (EI) continue to violate women’s human rights and the environment in the communities in which they operate. In Ghana, existing laws and regulations do not preclude businesses from such violations. This makes it important to reflect on innovative means including soft laws which could encourage companies operating in the EI in Ghana to respect women’s human rights and the environment over and above compliance with national laws and regulations. This thesis examines the problem of land grabbing by EI companies operating in Ghana, the unique negative impacts women in mining communities face as a result of land grabbing, and how this affects Ghana’s economic backbone. The study suggests that respect for women’s human rights in the EI in Ghana would help Ghana to achieve sustainable development, and that this could be accomplished through efforts by the government and EI companies to adopt and apply legally relevant international Responsible Business Conduct standards and principles. The analysis adopts a gendered perspective to help highlight the diverse intersectional factors that are discriminatory towards women in an attempt to address issues of women in the communities where extractive business operations are undertaken in Ghana.