EXCURSION •
© African Mining, incorporating Mining Mirror
The 4th annual Women & Leadership in Engineering, Infrastructure & Innovation event held on 12-13 March 2025 brought industries from both the public and private sector together to talk business and build sustainable networks.
AN EXCURSION INTO THE REALM OF“ WOMEN & LEADERSHIP IN ENGINEERING, INFRASTRUCTURE & INNOVATION”
By Taegan Devar, industrial psychologist and the MD of PeopleSmart
Championing women leaders – raise your voice
On 12 and 13 March this year, I attended the Women and Leadership conference for engineering and technical leaders, hosted by Pinpoint Stewards. Watching these powerful women in STEM – driving innovation, solving complex problems, demonstrating technical excellence, leading teams and contributing to nation-building – was incredibly inspiring. I left with the conviction that our world would be a better place if more women were leading the way across all spheres of work.
And yet, despite meeting countless courageous, confident, and capable women, I also heard many stories about the persistent challenges of working in male-dominated industries. From navigating work-life balance and parenting responsibilities, to facing ongoing discrimination, lack of workplace support, and the need for essential resources like changerooms, PPE designed for women and nursing rooms – the hurdles remain significant. While progress has been made, it is simply not enough.
This raised an important question: how do we get to the point where gender equity is embedded in organisations through
Gender equity is not just a compliance requirement but a core organisational value.
real, structural change, not just symbolic gestures like an annual Women’ s Day breakfast or token gifts? Leadership must recognise that gender equity is not just a compliance requirement but a core organisational value. Inclusive and transformed cultures foster happier workforces, which is not only good for business but, more importantly, good for people.
Taegan Devar is an industrial psychologist and the managing director of organisational development company PeopleSmart.
Dr. Gugu Moche from the National Research Foundation highlighted this point in her presentation on unconscious bias. Citing World Bank statistics, she noted that nine out of ten men and women hold biases against women. She also highlighted a troubling disparity: while 43 % of STEM graduates are women, only 19 % hold senior roles in tech fields. This gap costs the economy billions in lost talent, stifles innovation, limits GDP growth and reduces competitiveness in the global market.
Supplied by PeopleSmart www. africanmining. co. za African Mining Publication African Mining African Mining • May 2025 • 23