HEALTH AND SAFETY • 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 . •
Source : Minerals Council South Africa
The economic empowerment and emancipation of women in business is a critical lever to not only transform society but to ensure women ’ s independence in the face of gender-based violence
www . africanmining . co . za African Mining Publication African Mining African Mining • April 2024 • 29