Meet Melba, an executive championing the rights of women in mining

By the time she was 30, Dr Melba Wasunna had lived and worked on four continents. Currently, she is the External Affairs manager at Base Titanium Limited, which is Kenya’s largest mining company. As the first African to hold that position, she possesses a strong track record of public affairs and policy, corporate affairs, strategy development, sustainability, public relations, negotiations, governance and risk management. Dr Wasunna was also the recipient of the 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining Award (2020) and the Upstream Oil and Gas Awards, Woman of the Year (2019). She reflects on her time and the place of women in the mining industry.

How did it all begin?

My journey started in law school at the University of Cape Town. I've always been very passionate about human rights; fighting for the indigent and the voiceless. When I came across the business and human rights field, I was immediately drawn to it. After law school, I worked as an attorney at Davis Polk and Wardwell in New York, where I was exposed to the business end of things. I then went on to do my doctorate at Monash University in Australia and my given topic was business and human rights, focusing on extractive industries in Africa.

Fast forward, I got an opportunity to work for Strathmore University where I set up a research centre on extractives. The centre exposed me to a variety of stakeholders. I traversed parts of the country and did a lot of research and community engagement. From there, I formed a professional relationship with Base Titanium and, naturally, I grew into my specific role of policy and stakeholder engagement.

With 10 years in the sector, what are some of the challenges faced by women in mining?

Mining is still a male-dominated field and women must work hard to gain access to the field. Entry is difficult because, for a long time, relevant courses in mining failed to attract women. We have made concerted efforts to highlight opportunities for young women to come in. Even for those who got in, getting promoted was challenging because of gender-specific constraints faced by women like childbearing.

Some mines are not suitable for women. Beyond toilets, access to water is also difficult. For small-scale women miners, there is also the real threat of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) owing to a lack of clear procedures or adherence to the law. Additionally, they lack access to loans because many banks do not understand the sector, forcing them to turn to shylocks whose interest rates are prohibitive. Moreover, they lack access to information on markets, exposing them to exploitation.

You wear many hats, what drives you?

I have a strong sense of personal responsibility. I am always thinking of ways to advance the space and make things better, especially for women. I am the chairperson of the Association of Women in Energy and Extractives in Kenya (Aweik), a platform that promotes the participation of women in the oil, gas and mining value chain in Kenya. Aweik is fundamental to mitigating some of the aforementioned challenges. For instance, we started Madini Sacco so that women can easily access loans.

We have also partnered with a variety of organisations to raise awareness of SGBV, how they can protect themselves and where to seek help in the event they need it. I must pass my condolences to the family of Aweik vice chairperson Mary Kanyaman who was unfortunately killed in the latest Turkana cattle rustling attack. She was in charge of the grassroots, working with Turkana women. She was a big proponent of how gemstones can drive peace in the region by providing an alternate source of wealth besides livestock. I am also the vice chairperson of the Energy and Extractives Sector Board at the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kepsa), representing the interests of mining and driving policy conversations.

What is your advice for young women interested in the mining sector?

Young women often desire to do what they studied, but sometimes that opportunity might not be available. I encourage them to think outside of the box, keeping in mind that getting a foot in the door is what is most important. I am also a big believer in volunteering and I did it for two years at Strathmore.

Volunteering offers a good platform to build their social capital as they develop themselves for the next better opportunity. If they do not have resources like transport, they should negotiate for online work because that can happen from the comfort of their homes. Young women also must push themselves and enhance their online presence. And now there are tools at their disposal for them to crystallise their thoughts. Sites like LinkedIn can help people to get to know themselves and their passions. And while at it, they must be very conscious of their posts, to avoid being too casual.

What are your thoughts on mentorship?

I do not think I ever had any formal mentorship. Instead, I have always been keen on relationship building and networking. I would look up the people I admire on social media because they tend to post a lot of their knowledge and activities. Additionally, I am an avid reader. As such, my career has been shaped by these people's experiences through just observations.

And I always approach them whenever we are in a shared space and start conversations based on my interest in them. So, it is important to understand and tap into different kinds of mentorship. That said, I have established formal lines of mentorship for young women in mining. Some are recent university graduates or volunteers at Aweik and others are from Base Titanium. We have quarterly meetings to understand their challenges, to help them grow their networks, and to succeed.

Outside your professional life, what don’t people know about you?

I am passionate about family. I am married and a mother of two girls – seven-year-old Kiara and nine-year-old Agnetta. We usually cook a Sunday meal where we try out recipes from different countries. So far, we have done Thailand, Mexico and others. We google different food themes. In the process, we bond and the girls get to learn about new cultures. We also love to do gymnastics, hiking and travelling across the country.

Who are your biggest supporters?

I will honestly say that the job is quite demanding. For instance, I am currently leading a project in Kwale that requires a lot more of my physical presence. I travel every week and come back to Nairobi over the weekend. Luckily, I have a supportive husband who is very present – which lessens any feelings of guilt about not being with the girls throughout.

The grandparents on both sides have also been very helpful. My mother will travel if I have to go somewhere and she is always more than happy to come and stay with the children.

What next for you?

I'm open to opportunities where I can grow projects and make a valid contribution. They are not necessarily the paid kind but also those that offer fulfilment. I also hope to create visibility for the mining sector so that it is considered as important as agriculture or ICT.  I always say if it is not farmed, it is mined.

Your parting shot?

Women can have it all but not all at the same time. Be realistic and surround yourself with like-minded individuals so that you are not under unnecessary pressure to perfectly balance all your roles – which is impossible.

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