A glimpse at the life of Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes

ALL she ever wanted was to be a successful female miner; to stand among men and prove

that women, too, have the ability to be successful in an industry dominated by men. She not only fulfilled that dream but did better; she now sits as the country’s first female Minister of Natural Resources.

A miner for approximately 30 years, Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes said politics was never part of her dream. As a child, growing up in the mining town of Bartica, her only intention was to prove that women can be successful at mining- or rather- at anything.

But it wasn’t long before she became heavily involved in activism, fighting for women and children who are abused and victims of trafficking in persons. Broomes has also fought tooth and nail for equality within the male-dominated sector and though women are more recognised in the mining sector now as opposed to 15 years ago, she believes much work needs to be done.

INTEREST PIQUED
Born to St. Lucian parents, Broomes paid keen attention to her father (now deceased) who worked as a contractor cutting roads in the interior.
“I could remember clearly, he was a foreman in the UMRP…building roads in the interior and while he was there…he had friends who were also St. Lucians and they would talk a lot about mining [particularly] gold and diamonds,” she recounted during an interview with the Pepperpot Magazine.

It was these conversations and the efforts put in by her father and his friends that saw Broomes’ interest developing for the male-dominated sector.
“My father set up little crews and they’d do mining,” she said, and in those days where little girls were expected to be at home with their mothers helping around the house or playing with dolls, Broomes broke the stereotype by doing things only boys were used to doing.

“I always liked riding a bicycle, moving a pick- up, driving a truck because those were the equipment around the community. The only thing I have not done yet is to move a helicopter or plane,” she said with a slight chuckle.
But despite her parent’s ambition for her, times were challenging and decisions had to be made. After leaving school, Broomes said she had no relatives living in Georgetown and was not in a financial position to further her education in the city.

“I came from a very big family- a family of 15 to be exact, and to elevate academically, you had to go to Georgetown…and as a girl-child not having family there, the decision was foregone,” she explained.

THE BEGINNING OF A CAREER
“Serious choices had to be made and my own was to move right away to business and I chose mining. I was determined to start with a shovel and a spade as it was always my dream to be a woman miner,” Broomes told the Pepperpot Magazine proudly.
Moreover, driven by her family’s circumstances, Broomes ultimate goal was to be the “wealthiest woman miner”. The mother of three said the journey was not an easy one and noted that at times, the challenges outweighed the positives.

“I was robbed! There was no level of equal opportunity and in fact, I remember when I wanted to get a Prospective Licence (PL)…a certain government minister asked me, ‘Why you’re wasting time? As a woman, you need to find something else to do…that is not possible, you don’t have the ability’,” she recounted, though she had the required amount of money to venture into business.

Those words served as unhealed wounds on Broomes’ back and have lived with her throughout her journey. “I got a passion for equality, you know …I come with something different, something real…where I’ve come from and what I’ve been through, I’ve really learned to appreciate people and life in a special way and everything that comes with it,” she said.

ADVOCACY FOR MINERS
As a Minister within the APNU+AFC coalition government, she intends to fight for transparency and equality within the sector she has responsibility for. But while her focus is on the mining sector, Broomes believes that there needs to be equality across the board.
“I want to see a sector that is well-managed with respect for miners…miners are precious and they need to be appreciated and educated in areas of environment,” she said, noting the health and safety challenges which continue to plague the industry which continues to be a strong contributor to Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“I know that in our first five years in office everything cannot be achieved… lots have started but in years ahead, we can achieve many things,” the optimistic minister stated.

Despite the odds, Broomes never lost hope. She revealed that death appeared before her on many occasions but she persevered. “Boats sinking, I crashed in trucks, swam and was saved by a branch… those things motivated me, kept me…the dangers of the sector are what kept me and I used that to motivate myself,” she said as she reminisced about the vastly different life she lived years ago.

She said of all her challenges the unfair system affected her most; but despite her many setbacks, she remembered her ultimate goal of being successful.
“To have a scuffle in the backdam never scared me; snakes, tigers, swamps, walking long distances…when I am finished walking for the first 10-15 hours, I am more motivated to go down the road to walking as long as I have to. The rougher the journey, the deeper my passion went,” she said proudly, noting her elevation from the backdam to the government.

A MOTHER’S LOVE
But her challenges were not solely around working as a female in a male-dominated industry but being away from her family, including her three young children. Though it was a difficult position and decision, Broomes said she tried to be the best mother despite her predominant absence.

“My challenges caused me to be a better mother…every time I leave home and returned, it was like the beginning, it was so special because there was no guarantee of me returning or seeing my kids again,” the Minister told the Pepperpot Magazine.
“So when I come home, I want to ensure always that I impart great values to my children…they must be independent, brilliant, have access to the best education, be mannerly and rounded so they can stand out.”

Broomes said God was the centre of her family’s life and she implored upon them to lean on God as she fought battles in the jungle. “I told them ‘mommy is not here, but God is here with you…I am going there but I am going to come back…let your faith be in God’. I used my whole religious belief into comforting them. I never missed a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meeting. I travelled three days just to be there on time. If the school needed to be cleaned I travelled to clean it…Mashramani I am there, Christmas concert, I am there…I had my priorities,” she said.

Currently, her two youngest children are studying overseas while her eldest has followed in her footsteps.

MORE THAN JUST A MINER
Broomes has no regrets and expressed gratitude to former Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn, who is a geologist by profession, for understanding her struggles and helping her with her fight for transparency over the years.

“I had nobody I could talk to; I had nobody who understood my language, so they could not have embraced me nor supported me. The person who came closest to understanding was Roberson Benn and he gave me three mining blocks…he fought for transparency,” Broomes said.

She added that never in her wildest dreams did she envision being a minister of any government. She said her intention was to aid in a process of change and she campaigned for, and with APNU, and subsequently the coalition formed with the AFC.

“Even when I served as a councillor in the region, I never really envisioned this…when I got into the 2015 elections, I was fighting for my country and the people. I wanted to go back and have that real opportunity I was robbed of. I gave it my best shot in that campaign.

I sit there sometimes and hear people dismiss me as ‘just a miner’ but I am proud…the value that I have and bring to my people and this country…a lot of people can’t,” Broomes said.
She said the decision by President David Granger to appoint her a minister in his administration took her by surprise but she embraced it. Asked whether she misses being in the backdam, Broomes gazed for a few minutes, then replied, “I really, really miss it.”

THE GUYANA WOMEN MINERS ORGANISATION
But before entering politics, Broomes opened an organisation called, the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO), which is no longer under her stewardship. That organisation was formed with the primary aim of empowering women while bringing to the fore issues of abuse and trafficking in persons.

In fact, she was honoured as the one of the 2013 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report Heroes at a ceremony held at the U.S. Department of State to unveil the 2013 Trafficking in Persons Report.
“Simona Broomes has demonstrated extraordinary bravery and leadership in raising the awareness of human trafficking in Guyana. After 25 years as a miner, she established the Guyana Women Miners Organisation in 2012 to empower women miners and address unique challenges women face operating in remote areas.

Ms. Broomes has rescued several trafficking victims, and her organisation provides temporary housing for victims to ensure their safety. Under Ms. Broomes’ dynamic leadership, the GWMO and its 440 members take direct action to protect victims and have become consistently powerful advocates against human trafficking,” a statement from the U.S. Embassy here had said.

She is now working on syndicates; an initiative she said was generated to get miners into small workable groups that would see benefits being accrued to all.
“In the extractive industry as a female, you need to have the appreciation of your male counterpart because the terrain, the structure of the work of mining is a very robust one and bringing them into syndicates you’d find that they would work together. It would eliminate the kind of abuse, fear, insecurity, environment that the woman is placed to work.

She explained that the stigma attached to female miners has been reduced as in the past. Before, women who opted to work in the hinterland were labeled prostitutes. “Women never used to want to say I am going in the backdam, or I am a miner…they would lie and say they are going to Barbados or Trinidad.
But, those periods where I gave back to civil society, women now are proud to say I am a miner, I am going into the bush…if they are abused, they would come forward now,” she stated.

“We have moved to a place where government is empowering women and championing their rights. We no longer have to look to civil society to push for equality,” she told the Pepperpot Magazine.
Broomes said she strongly believes women are in a better place and whether she is in or out of government, she will continue to fight for equality.