HEALTH AND SAFETY •
Image supplied by Freepik
WOMEN ’ S SAFETY ON MINES : ENSURING WE TAKE A MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH
By Taegan Devar , industrial psychologist and MD of PeopleSmart
In an article published in the Business Times on 20 October 2024 Chief Director of Mines , David Msiza , is quoted as saying , “ While things have improved ( for women in mining ), safety of women is not where it should be .”
In the past 30 years , the number of women working on mines has grown to 72 000 ( 19 % of the mining workforce ), yet it is only in the past decade that a concerted effort has been made to safeguard women in mines .
Msiza asserts that from 2015 onwards there has been a drive for improved safety for women miners . He says that before this , there were frequent reports of women being attacked , killed and sexually harassed underground .
However , it should be noted that these reports are far from a thing of the past . He rightly points out that while progress has been made , women ’ s safety in mining still falls short of where it needs to be , and that more must be done to ensure the safety of women underground . From the experiences of women in mining that we hear of through our work , this focus must extend to all mines .
All-too-often we hear stories of how women in mining are being treated poorly and unequally and how they are being verbally and sexually harassed and abused . And while some mines may have the will and / or the wallet for a buddy system for women working in remote parts of a mine , this is not the case for all mines .
Msiza is to be applauded for his insistence that more needs to be done to safeguard women in mining . “ In no time we will issue a directive to say , yes , there has been progress in some mines , but women are still complaining .”
While this is a vital step in the right direction – and we eagerly await further details of this directive – efforts cannot end at policy level and must be supported through buy-in at all levels of the industry .
The reality on the ground is that although many organisations have initiatives in place like increased lighting in cages and underground , female PPE and GBV helplines , the real challenge often lies in supporting and sustaining these initiatives effectively .
The question that must be asked is : How can organisations go beyond compliance and truly support enabling legislation to ensure that Women in Mining becomes a lived value within their operations ? Business ’ s alignment with and proactive implementation of department directives is critical if we are to ensure safety for women ( and indeed men ) in mining .
This must begin at the point of actively creating physically and psychologically safe and inclusive environments , where women are not in constant ‘ self-protect mode ’ and operating from a place of fear . In the work that we do with mines across the continent , this is always the starting point . It includes exploring how an organisation ’ s policies , programmes and infrastructure protect and enable women – ensuring the environment is safe on all levels , creating enabling platforms for women to have an equal voice , and ensuring adequate female representation in key forums .
Another critical arm to any Women in Mining initiative is education and awareness . As an example , in discussions about sexual harassment of women , we frequently encounter employees who
www . africanmining . co . za African Mining Publication African Mining African Mining • March 2025 • 25