ActionAid Ghana Launches VOICES Project to Strengthen Community Participation and Accountability in Mining Communities

ActionAid Ghana has officially launched the Uplifting the Voices of Mining Communities (VOICES) Project, a 24-month initiative funded by Comic Relief to strengthen the voice, agency and collective power of mining-affected communities and support more inclusive, accountable and environmentally responsible mineral governance.

The project, which runs from August 2026 to May 2028, is being implemented across Ghana, Malawi and Senegal. In Ghana, ActionAid will work with mining-affected communities in Mfantseman, Ahafo Ano South, Asutifi North and Talensi, with a Ghana project allocation of £120,000 from the overall £450,000 programme budget.

The launch comes at a time when Ghana's mining sector continues to play a major role in the national economy. In 2024, mineral production contributed an estimated 9.5% of Ghana's GDP, while mineral export earnings rose by 52.7% to US$11.9 billion, representing 58.4% of the country's total merchandise exports. The sector also generated approximately 1.14 million jobs, according to Ghana's 2024 National Annual Progress Report.

Yet, the economic importance of mining is accompanied by significant environmental and social pressures. Research published in 2024 estimated that artisanal and small-scale mining had degraded more than 78,000 hectares of forest and land in Ghana over the preceding two decades, with associated water pollution and implications for livelihoods, food security and community wellbeing.

Against this backdrop, the VOICES Project seeks to strengthen the ability of mining-affected communities to participate meaningfully in decisions concerning their land, livelihoods, environment and natural resources.

The Project Manager, Akuka Yakubu disclosed that ActionAid Ghana's approach is grounded in the recognition that communities are not simply beneficiaries of development interventions.They are rights-holders, knowledge holders and agents of change. 

The project will support communities to strengthen their knowledge of extractive-sector governance and their capacity to document environmental, social, labour and human rights concerns. Community-generated evidence will then be used to inform engagement with duty bearers, regulatory institutions and mining-sector actors.

The intervention will combine citizen awareness, women and youth leadership, artistic activism, community-based monitoring, participatory research and evidence-based advocacy to strengthen community voice and influence in mineral governance.

A key focus of the project is ensuring that women and young people are able to participate more meaningfully in decisions around mineral resources.

Over the 24-month period, ActionAid Ghana will train 80 women leaders and youth representatives in areas including extractive-sector governance, climate-resilient livelihoods, advocacy, campaigning and artistic activism.

The project will also establish and strengthen four Community-Based Monitoring Committees (CBMCs) and train 28 CBMC members and journalists in human rights documentation, environmental monitoring, labour rights, social accountability and evidence-based reporting.

The committees will conduct regular monitoring and document issues including land degradation, water pollution, livelihood impacts, displacement and labour rights concerns. The evidence generated will support community engagement with relevant duty bearers and contribute to advocacy for improved institutional responses.

The VOICES Project is designed to move beyond awareness creation towards measurable changes in systems and practices.

The project targets 32 quarterly monitoring exercises, two participatory research studies, eight community sensitisation forums, four validation and dissemination workshops and at least 12 community-led advocacy initiatives.

It also aims to contribute to influencing at least three policy or administrative actions relating to mineral governance.

Evidence generated through community monitoring and participatory research will be translated into policy briefs, advocacy materials and multi-stakeholder engagements, connecting community experiences to institutional and policy-level decision-making.

For ActionAid Ghana, this evidence-to-influence approach is central to building sustainable change.The Voices Project seeks to build change that lasts beyond the project. Sustainability is embedded in the design of VOICES.

Rather than creating structures that depend solely on project funding, ActionAid Ghana will strengthen locally owned community structures, including Community-Based Monitoring Committees and women and youth leadership networks, to continue monitoring, documenting and advocating on mining-related concerns beyond the project period.

The project will also strengthen relationships between communities and duty bearers so that community-generated evidence can continue informing accountability and governance processes after the project ends.

Ultimately, the project seeks to contribute to a mineral governance system in which mining-affected communities – particularly women and young people – have greater voice, agency and influence over decisions affecting their land, livelihoods, environment and natural resources.

The anticipated longer-term outcomes include more equitable sharing of mining-related benefits, stronger environmental accountability, greater participation of women and young people, improved responsiveness of duty bearers, stronger protection of community and labour rights, and more inclusive and sustainable mineral resource governance in Ghana.

For ActionAid Ghana, the launch of VOICES represents an investment not only in communities, but in community power, locally generated evidence and the systems that enable citizens to hold decision-makers accountable.

As Ghana continues to benefit from its mineral wealth, the project seeks to ensure that the people and communities at the heart of mining are equipped with the knowledge, platforms and collective power to shape the decisions that affect their lives. The ambition is clear, to ensure that mining communities are not simply heard, but have the power to influence change.

Speaking at the Launch, John Nkaw the Country Director emphasised that 
“VOICES is designed to create change that lasts beyond the life of the project. We are investing in community structures, women and youth leadership, and locally generated evidence that can continue to shape accountability long after project funding ends. For ActionAid Ghana, this is about more than giving mining-affected communities a voice; it is about strengthening their power and agency to influence decisions on their land, livelihoods, environment and natural resources. We believe communities must be at the centre of mineral governance and equipped to hold duty bearers accountable for a fairer and more sustainable future.” ~ John Nkaw, Country Director.

Dr Steve Manteaw, Co-Chair of the Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GHEITI), described the project as a timely intervention that complements government efforts to strengthen community systems for extractive-sector transparency and social accountability. He encouraged participants at the launch to become ambassadors of social accountability in their respective communities and institutions, emphasising that advancing extractive justice requires collective effort and sustained community engagement.

The launch brought together traditional leaders, representatives from state institutions, including the Minerals Commission, Regional Coordinating Council and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), as well as community and youth groups.

Written by Jacqueline Parditey.