African Mining October 2019 | Page 33

MINING IN FOCUS  Like many women in the industry, Ellie faced a lot of challenges when she began her career in mining, specifically with regards to male colleagues. They undermined her capabilities, especially when it came to physical work, and were reluctant to train her, as they assumed that she was weak. Ellie overcame this challenge by completing physical challenges by herself. She also began expanding her knowledge of the equipment and machinery she worked with by reading manuals. She took it one step further by challenging her male colleagues with technical-related questions based on what she had read, which surprised them greatly. Ellie has always enjoyed proving herself by keeping her technical knowledge up to date – it equips her with the skills to lead. emotional intelligence. The mining sector has evolved since the time when swearing and not caring for others was the norm. Companies are building organisational cultures that encourage leaders to talk to the mind and heart of the employee in order to hold them accountable for their deliverables. Many male employees lack this skill and are not comfortable with this culture. Women are able to implement this kind of culture in the workplace, allowing organisations to transform. Women work safer than men as they stick to the rules. Technically, women are excellent at solving problems and they are patient. Being patient allows you to We asked Ellie about the advantages of including women in the mining sector. She says, “Women are strong on "There are still many factors that prevent women from pursuing a career in mining at an underground level. www. africanmining.co.za African Mining Publication African Mining African Mining  October 2019  31