Pinpoint Stewards has announced that chief director of the Programme and Projects Management Office at the DMRE, Elizabeth Marabwa, will be delivering a keynote address on “Supporting and developing women in mining”, at the Annual Women and Leadership in Mining Conference taking place on 28 and 29 August at the NH Collection Hotel this year.

Supplied by Pinpoint Stewards

 

“Legislation, proposed white papers and labour guidelines have been put in place to overcome barriers for women wanting to enter into a mining career, but it is clear in the equity numbers that a more accelerated approach is needed through implementation,” says Ankia Roux, co-owner, Pinpoint Stewards.  “Now, more than ever, a shift has taken place and mining companies have realised the true value of having women at all levels of operations. I believe we can look forward to new strategies of implementation in the year to come.”

Roux adds that, with an 11-strong-speaker-line-up, the aim of the organisers was to profile these exceptional women in mining, and this was achieved through equal reporting of the event by their media partners over the past four months. 

Furthermore, she notes that the attendance by the DMRE adds to the excitement and momentum gained. “Lending its voice to the conference, the DMRE has given its support to the conference’s objective to support gender mainstreaming and transformation in the industry. The DMRE representatives will engage with industry stakeholders at the event, giving feedback on their current initiatives on the road ahead for the advancement of women at all levels.

This year’s line-up will once again ensure that delegates leave equipped with the knowledge of current opportunities available to them.  The inspirational speakers at the two-day conference include:

  • Nozipho Dlamini, mine manager, Thungela Resources
  • Dr Adwoa Boaduo Issaka, unit manager, Safety, Goldfields
  • Nandi Sibanyoni, executive head, SHE, Anglo American – Kumba Iron Ore
  • Ofentse Debete, section manager, Mining, Goldfields
  • Mpho Nyarela, WiM chair, Limpopo, RTF exco member, Palabora Mining Company
  • Nomvula Ngcobo, Engineering manager – Asset & Maintenance, Harmony Gold Mining Co ltd
  • Cindy Mabala, Rock Engineering officer, Impala Platinum ltd
  • Bontle Mtshengu, founder and co-owner, Quantum Leap Smart Engineering
  • Hendrietta Sarile, environmental coordinator: Systems and Compliance Exploration, Ivanplats
  • Cynthia Muvhango, mine engineer, Foskor (Pty) ltd
  • Kristell Holtzhausen, previously company secretary to African Rainbow Minerals ltd – Ferrous Division (Assmang), now independent governance consultant to various mining companies

 

Topics to be discussed include:

  • Opportunities and challenges in doubling the percentage of women in mining
  • Overcoming the age-old barriers of stereotyping, pay gaps, lack of career advancement, adaptation of workplaces and imposter syndrome, to name a few
  • Mental health as a barrier and enabler for women in sustainable mining
  • The benefits of retaining and developing women in mining
  • Becoming a successful leader in mining
  • Modernisation towards safety and sustainability for women
  • Eradicating sexual harassment, GBV and bullying in the workplace
  • Discussing current enabling legislation and proposed white papers to progress women at a faster pace.

Empowerment partners can look forward to a two-day conference (with enough time allocated for open forum discussions after each speaker) and a panel session looking at the composition of women in mining committees to represent women at the highest level.  Delegates will receive a women’s month welcome gift and be part of the networking high-tea to exchange business cards and talk strategy while interacting with women across various sectors within mining.

 

Paying it forward

Pinpoint Stewards will be donating a percentage of the proceeds to beneficiaries, WiMSA and the Lighthouse Baby Shelter.  Each year, Pinpoint Stewards sponsors complimentary passes for 20 post-graduate students to attend the conference, to enable them to meet mentors, to negotiate job shadowing and expose them to opportunities for a career in mining. The company works together with its official media partners African Mining, Global African Network, South African Business and Mining Weekly to share the stories of women making a difference in the sector.

For further enquires or to become an exhibitor/sponsor/partner, contact Sudhira Sewsunker, co-owner, Pinpoint Stewards on info@pinpointstewards.co.za  or visit www.pinpointstewards.co.za for more information.

Source:  Supplied by Pinpoint Stewards