We aim to double the presence of women in mining in SA by 2025

There are few industries globally that are more likely to be thought of as “men’s work” than the mining industry. That is especially the case in SA. For almost the entire 20th century, women were not permitted to work underground, being limited to white-collar work. Throughout its history, mining here has been male-dominated.

The 2004 Mining Charter began positively to encourage women in mining, but progress has been painfully slow. Women make up only 12% of the mining industry workforce in SA, from 6% in 2008. This is progress, but not enough.

More worrying is that women graduates in mining engineering faculties (more than 50% in some graduating classes) are not feeding through to employment and progression in the industry. Rather, these graduates — whose education, directly and indirectly, has been supported by the mining industry — are attracted to work in financial services and other technical jobs rather than directly in mining. This has to change.

Many studies demonstrate that the more diverse and inclusive a company is, the more successful it is likely to be. We know that businesses with a significant percentage of female employees are also likely to be more resilient in the face of a crisis.

It is clear that the mining industry in SA needs to move faster to achieve real equity. This starts with changing workplace attitudes and behaviour, and publicly committing to actionable goals that advance equality.

To support and drive the work being undertaken on women in mining, the Minerals Council has established a Women in Mining leadership forum, made up of CEOs and senior executives from 16 companies. They are supported by a technical task team, also drawn from member companies, that will actively drive the implementation of policies and practices, and address any impediments to progress. Last week’s launch of the National Day of Women in Mining serves as a marker against which we can measure ourselves.

We are conscious that launching a new initiative in the middle of a global pandemic may be seen as less than ideal timing. But we see this as a critical moment in which we can identify opportunities and embed a commitment to work towards ambitious targets.

At a time when what we see as normal in every aspect of our lives has been disrupted, there may never be a better time to challenge the status quo in the industry. The world of work has been physically and socially disrupted, and a new, more modernised and more flexible approach to work and work spaces is likely to create opportunities that are more gender-neutral.

The Women in Mining team members are working towards seven key foundational measures that we hope to see in place at Minerals Council members by the end of 2020: reaffirming zero tolerance for gender-based violence through the Stop Abuse campaign; developing gender diversity and inclusion policies; providing a reporting system for gender diversity issues; initiating unconscious bias training to transform culture; deploying ongoing company-wide pulse check surveys; building an inclusive physical environment; and supplying personal protective equipment designed specifically for women.

The goal for 2020 is an “industry-wide commitment with a clear ambition, strategy and action plan towards gender equality in mining and pilot initiatives being kicked off”.

In the longer term, the Minerals Council is focused on achieving ambitious objectives that go beyond those set for the industry in the current iteration of the Mining Charter. Our approach is to set our sights high: to ensure that we at least double the percentage of women in mining by 2025 and ultimately work towards 30% to 40% of the industry and 50% of management over the next decade.

We have much work to do. The Minerals Council has a responsibility to set clear goals and standards, and to hold its members accountable if they do not achieve them. We are confident that the commitment our members have shown so far will be translated into clear action. The future of mining depends on us committing ourselves to building an industry that is truly inclusive, internationally competitive and draws on the talents of women and men — now, and in the future.

There may never be a better time to challenge the status quo in the industry