MINING IN FOCUS
WOMEN IN MINING:
BREAKING BARRIERS
Women in mining have come a
long way, writes
Shivani Poovalingam from
Halo Media.
L
ast year in South Africa, the mining sector
employed 453 543 people. This in turn
contributed R22-billion in taxes and
R127.4-billion in employee earnings. Of the
453 543 people employed, 16% were women
in top management, 17% were women in senior
management, 24% were women who were professionally
qualified employees and 18% were women who were
employed in the skilled and technical areas. Without
context, these numbers may seem insignificant. However,
look into the past, and a different picture emerges.
In the past, women were barred from entering the mining
industry at an underground level. Legislative restrictions,
gender restrictions, and even superstition stood in the way
of them proving what a valuable resource they would be
to the industry. Women have come a long way in breaking
down legal and social barriers to cement their place in
the mining sector.
Women are making inroads into the
mining industry.
24
African Mining October 2019
www. africanmining.co.za