WiM-Africa operates through a purpose-built institutional system designed to deliver large-scale, multi-country transformation while remaining responsive to local realities. This structure ensures that planning, policy, programs, communications, and operations move in a coordinated, accountable, and learning-driven manner across all countries of operation.
At the core of this system are five functional Directorates, each supported by specialized Bureaus responsible for implementing specific elements of the Seven-Point Program Agenda (7PPAs) and Strategic Focus Areas (SFs). Together, these Directorates ensure that continental advocacy, national delivery, and grassroots impact remain fully integrated.
This architecture is supported by the Secretariat and emerging centers of excellence—most notably the WiM-Africa Institute for Leadership & Sustainable Mining, which will serve as the organization’s physical and intellectual hub for innovation, leadership development, and knowledge production.
The Office of the Executive Director & Governance provides strategic leadership, institutional coherence, and continental oversight across all WiM-Africa activities. It ensures that all Directorates and Bureaus remain aligned with the organization’s vision, values, and Action Plan priorities.
An Advisory Board of experienced professionals and regional experts supports this office, offering guidance on strategy, partnerships, emerging risks, and continental positioning.
Each Directorate is responsible for a core functional domain and houses Bureaus that translate strategy into action.
Each Strategic Focus Area and each of the 7PPAs is assigned to specific Directorates and Bureaus, preventing duplication and ensuring institutional accountability.
This Directorate serves as the intellectual and strategic backbone of WiM-Africa.
It leads long-term foresight, research generation, institutional planning, and partnership development.
It anchors WiM-Africa’s evidence-driven approach—ensuring that all programs, advocacy positions, and policy engagements are informed by data, research, and lived experiences of women in mining.
Bureaus under SPR:
• Research & Development Bureau
Leads baseline studies, thematic research, documentation of women’s experiences, and production of policy-relevant knowledge.
• Strategic Planning & Partnerships Bureau
Coordinates continental planning cycles, donor engagement strategies, and institutional alliances with AU bodies, DFIs, RECs, and governments.
• Data Analytics & Knowledge Products Bureau
Manages the WiM-Africa Research & Data Hub, develops dashboards, knowledge repositories, and impact publications.
This Directorate also anchors Agenda 6 of the 7PPAs: the WiM-Africa Research & Data Hub.
The Programs & Innovation Directorate is the engine of implementation. It designs, pilots, and scales high-impact interventions aligned with the Seven-Point Program Agenda.
It leads the transition of women from informal and marginalized roles into formal, profitable, and value-driven participation in mining economies.
• ESG & Climate Action Bureau
Leads programs on climate resilience, environmental justice, GBV in mining, and responsible mining practices.
• NextGen & Youth Leadership Bureau
Delivers the NextGen WiM Fellowship, Internship, and Leadership Pipeline programs.
• Cooperatives & Enterprise Empowerment Bureau
Supports women-led cooperatives, enterprise formalization, access to finance, and business development.
• Value Addition & AfCFTA Linkages Bureau
Drives beneficiation, mineral processing pilots, market access, and AfCFTA trade integration.
This Directorate oversees flagship initiatives such as WiM-CoopAfrica, value addition labs, and enterprise accelerators.
This Directorate ensures that WiM-Africa’s work is legally grounded, institutionally legitimate, and policy-relevant.
It leads gender-responsive mining law reform, legal support systems for women miners, and institutional partnerships with governments and regulatory agencies.
Core Functions:
• Legal empowerment of women miners
• Policy advocacy at national and continental levels
• Institutional engagement with AU bodies, RECs, and ministries
• Regulatory coherence and compliance frameworks
It reinforces Strategic Focus Area 2: Advocacy for Women in Mining & Host Communities.
This Directorate is responsible for shaping narratives, building visibility, and amplifying women’s voices across Africa’s mining sector.
It leads digital storytelling, multimedia advocacy, public campaigns, and knowledge dissemination—ensuring that women in mining are no longer invisible.
Core Functions:
• Digital advocacy
• Media engagement
• Campaign strategy
• Content production
• Community building
This Directorate cuts across all Strategic Focus Areas by connecting field realities to continental discourse.
The Operations & Secretariat Services Directorate is the integrator of the entire system. It ensures that all Directorates, Bureaus, and Chapters function coherently.
It manages:
• Chapter coordination
• Administration
• Logistics
• Volunteer systems
• Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)
It plays a critical role in onboarding new chapters, standardizing protocols, and supporting decentralized implementation.