Africa Responsible Minerals & Gender Index (ARMGI)
A continental accountability framework for responsible, inclusive, and SDG- and Agenda 2063-aligned mineral governance in Africa
Africa’s mineral resources are central to the continent’s industrialization, energy transition, and sustainable development ambitions. However, across mineral value chains, persistent gaps remain in gender inclusion, community benefit-sharing, ESG integration, value addition, and institutional accountability.
The Africa Responsible Minerals & Gender Index (ARMGI) is a proposed continental accountability framework designed to support governments, institutions, and stakeholders across Africa’s extractives sector in translating policy commitments into measurable, practical outcomes.
Anchored in the African Mining Vision, Agenda 2063, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ARMGI aims to strengthen responsible mineral governance through a collaborative, data-informed approach.
Why ARMGI Matters
As global demand for critical minerals accelerates, Africa’s role in the energy transition is expanding rapidly. This presents both opportunity and risk.
Without deliberate action:
- Value addition remains limited
- Communities bear disproportionate environmental and social costs
- Women and youth remain excluded from economic opportunities
- Governance gaps weaken long-term development outcomes
ARMGI is designed to help bridge these gaps by providing a structured approach to tracking progress, strengthening accountability, and supporting inclusive development across mineral value chains.
Core Pillars
ARMGI is structured around five key pillars:
1. Gender Inclusion
Promoting equitable participation of women across mining and mineral value chains.
2. ESG & Climate Resilience
Strengthening environmental, social, and governance practices aligned with climate and sustainability goals.
3. Value Addition & Beneficiation
Advancing local processing, industrialization, and women-led enterprise development.
4. Community Safeguards
Enhancing benefit-sharing, grievance mechanisms, and protection of communities and workers.
5. Transparency & Data Systems
Improving data availability, monitoring, and institutional accountability.
What ARMGI Aims to Do
ARMGI is being developed as a voluntary, partnership-based framework to:
- Support implementation of policy commitments across Africa’s extractives sector
- Provide structured, data-driven insights to inform decision-making
- Strengthen accountability and peer learning across countries and institutions
- Enhance alignment between mineral governance, industrialization, and energy transition priorities
- Promote inclusive participation, particularly for women and mining communities
Current Status
Ongoing efforts include:
- Stakeholder consultations
- Technical framework refinement
- Engagement with regional and international partners
- Exploration of pilot applications in selected contexts
Call for Collaboration
WiM-Africa welcomes engagement from:
- Governments and public institutions
- Regional and continental organizations
- Development finance institutions
- Private sector actors across mineral value chains
- Research and academic institutions
- Civil society and community-based organizations
Join the ARMGI Founding Technical Working Group
As ARMGI moves from dialogue toward design and piloting, we are inviting expressions of interest from stakeholders interested in helping shape this emerging accountability framework. Opportunities exist to contribute technical expertise, collaborate on pilots, support methodology development, and engage in a multi-stakeholder process advancing responsible minerals governance in Africa.
Submit your Expression of Interest below.
Contact / Engage/Participate
To express interest in collaboration, partnership, or pilot engagement:
Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development
(ARFSD-12)
Featured Dialogue at the Twelfth Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD-12)
As part of the next phase of development of the Africa Responsible Minerals & Gender Index (ARMGI), Women in Mining Africa (WiM-Africa) is convening a dedicated side event during the Twelfth Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD-12) to advance dialogue on ARMGI as an emerging collaborative accountability framework for gender-responsive mineral governance, benefit-sharing and measurable host community outcomes.
The dialogue is designed to bring together policymakers, private sector actors, development partners, researchers and civil society to explore practical pathways for moving from commitments to implementation, including through accountability approaches, pilot partnerships and technical collaboration.
Focus Areas of the Dialogue
Discussions will examine:
Gender-responsive mineral governance
Benefit-sharing and host community outcomes
Accountability pathways for responsible minerals
Practical approaches for shaping and piloting ARMGI
Strategic partnerships to support future uptake
Expected Outcomes
The dialogue seeks to contribute toward:
✔ Strengthening partnerships for ARMGI development
✔ Advancing technical dialogue on indicators and methodology
✔ Exploring pilot implementation pathways
✔ Informing the establishment of an ARMGI Founding Technical Working Group
✔ Supporting a roadmap for future uptake and collaboration
Next Phase: Technical Working Group and Pilot Partnerships
As part of this process, WiM-Africa is inviting expressions of interest from stakeholders interested in contributing to the next phase of ARMGI through:
Framework refinement
Indicator development
Pilot design
Knowledge products
Partnerships and resource mobilization
This dialogue is intended as part of a broader collaborative process to help shape ARMGI.
Call for Expressions of Interest
Interested in contributing to the ARMGI Founding Technical Working Group or exploring partnership opportunities?
