Edited by Sharyn Macnamara
#InspireInclusion was celebrated on International Women’s Day (IWD) locally, when ten inspirational women miners – nominated by their colleagues for the work they have done to make their workplace and the industry safer – took to the stage.
Over a hundred years on, women all over the world are still fighting for equal pay, equitable access to career and business opportunities and freedom from physical, psychological and sexual assault in communities, in-transit to and from work and, unfortunately, at work. Library of Congress | Unsplash
In South Africa, on 7 March 2024, the annual Women in Mining Heroes campaign run by the Minerals Council on behalf of its more than 70 member companies and associations gave inspiration to women in the mining industry with the acknowledgement that their contributions are recognised and valued. These women were celebrated for the value they have added to the industry in enabling others to return home safely after a hard day’s graft on the mines that literally are the backbone of our economy. In part one we set the scene, part two to follow online will home in on the difference these extra-ordinary women have made in going above and beyond the call of duty.
“Today we celebrate 10 amazing women who are our heroes in safety. It is very exciting that every year for the past four years we have celebrated women colleagues who are heroes in specific areas of their professions in the mining industry. Today, it is poignant that we celebrate women who are leading in safety,” said Nolitha Fakude, president of Minerals Council South Africa in her opening remarks at the event.
The transformation journey
The annual International Women’s Day began in March 1911 when women took to the streets to demand better working conditions, shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. “Over a hundred years on, women all over the world are still fighting for equal pay, equitable access to career and business opportunities and freedom from physical, psychological and sexual assault in communities, in-transit to and from work and, unfortunately, at work,” said Fakude.
She added, “Globally, advocacy groups, governments and the private sector have worked tirelessly to redress the injustices of the past”, however, a century later there are still pay discrepancies between men and women, unequal access to careers, promotions and business opportunities, and working conditions in some instances that are not safe or healthy for women and men.
When it comes to mining specifically, she noted that the industry had shown its willingness to introspect and follow up with corrective action – the Rio Tinto Everyday Respect report (2022), as well as the recent Gold Fields Respectful Workplace (2023), amongst other efforts, are cases in point.
She emphasised that the mining industry in South Africa had come a long way since the first woman, Dale Pearson, obtained a mining engineering degree in 1994 and Celiwe Mosoane was the first black woman to obtain her mine engineering degree in 2005. Women have broken the proverbial “glass ceiling” locally, with women like Dr Nombasa Tsengwa, CEO of Exxaro Resources and Mpumi Zikalala; CEO of Kumba Iron Ore; Natascha Viljoen, head hunted from her role as CEO of Anglo American Platinum by American gold miner Newmont Mining, the world’s largest gold producer, to take on the COO role; and Marna Cloete, president of Canada’s Ivanhoe Mines, which has a diverse portfolio including the new platinum group metals mine, Ivanplats in Limpopo, and copper mines in Democratic Republic of Congo all making waves in the industry.
Commenting on the strides made in the industry towards inclusivity, Fakude said, “We have seen an increase in the numbers of women participating in mining from an estimated 3% in 2002 to 15% of the total mining workforce of 477 000 in 2023, with the mining industry representing nearly 5% of South Africa’s workforce.” Since South Africa adopted its new Constitution in 1998, the country’s legislative framework (the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) which was implemented in 2004 and the Mining Charter) underpinning workplace policies and transformation efforts; advocacy groups, including labour, and the willingness of the private sector to partner with these stakeholders – all had a role to play in the positive developments to date, she emphasised.
Despite these developments, it was noted that there is still MUCH MORE that must be done. The International Labour Organisation defines a gender-balanced workplace as having a 40%–60% representation of women and men respectively as a baseline for a sustainable organisation. In the mining sector, this translates to 3–4 women in a crew of 8–12 people. Despite progress, “We are still far from the targets we have set before us,” she said.
In South Africa, as in many other countries, women are not free from the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). Although mining companies have a zero-tolerance approach to GBVF, local mines are reflective of the society from which employees come. Mining companies run programmes, interventions and initiatives to raise awareness of GBVF and to combat it at the workplace and at homes, but we need all our stakeholders – internal and external – to join us in our efforts to eradicate violence, bullying and murder of women.
What is being done?
The Minerals Council and its members have partnered with the National Prosecuting Authority and GBVF Response Fund to support Thuthuzela Care Centres, which are places of refuge, support and legal assistance in communities for the victims of abuse. This is a significant intervention by the mining industry to address GBVF outside mine gates and to provide support to those in need in our host communities.
The economic empowerment and emancipation of women in business is a critical lever to not only transform society but also to ensure women’s independence in the face of gender-based violence, as is stipulated in the National Strategic Plan on GBVF. To this end and prompted by the Minerals Council’s partnership with the Women’s Economic Assembly (WECONA), the Minerals Council commissioned a baseline study into the support of women-owned businesses by member companies during 2023. The outcomes of this study have supplied key insights into the support provided to women entrepreneurs through mining companies’ supply chain and enterprise development programmes. “We acknowledge that there is more work to be done in this regard, as mining is at the forefront of major economic sectors directly and indirectly employing women. We recognise the potential positive impact that can be achieved through the increased collaboration with all our stakeholders to broaden and deepen these initiatives.”
The Minerals Council, as a partner in the Mandela Mining Precinct with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, is also driving a programme of modernisation to make mining safer and more productive. One of the key outcomes of the modernisation work is the Isidingo Drill, which is light and ergonomically suitable for women to use as rock drill operators, normally a job ringfenced for strong, tough men. Additionally, improved underground lighting not only makes working safer, but it is also a factor in derisking the work environment for women. These are just some of the initiatives.
In tracking progress on the transformation journey, the Minerals Council and its members have redefined the metrics used to measure gender diversity and inclusion. Using the data collected over the past three years since the launch of its reporting dashboard, the Minerals Council has identified areas needing more attention to drive a culture change across the sector to realise an inclusive, diverse and equitable workforce which will underpin the success and sustainability of the mining industry.
Watch this space to follow the work of the ten women Heroes selected by mining colleagues. Young women considering a career in mining can take inspiration from our Heroes and they can see future careers for themselves in which they can realise their full potential and make a difference. n
Source: Minerals Council South Africa