African Mining October 2019 | Page 34

 MINING IN FOCUS take more time to explain things to others. When a woman is dedicated and passionate about her work, she can do more than what is expected.” Ellie believes that more women are pursuing an education in mining. However, there are still organisations that are not equipped to employ women. She says that South Africa is ahead of other countries, as there are SA companies with close to 20% female representation, whereas other countries still do not allow women to work in mining. We asked Ellie if she would ever leave the mining industry. She says no without hesitation. Ellie loves the industry and cannot wait for the day when she is the CEO of a mining company, where she can make a difference to the lives of female employees. 32  African Mining  October 2019 Ellie left us with some great words of wisdom. “It is worth mentioning that how one performs in the mining industry should not be looked at from the point-of-view of whether one is male or female. Growing your career is about how seriously you take yourself and how determined you are to reach for your goals without being derailed by any challenge that you may face. Having courage and perseverance is very important.” Levelling the playing field We also spoke to Louise Cunningham, Director of Halo Media. Louise provides marketing and design directly to mines and mining support services. She’s worked with Rio Tinto and South32, from simple communication design like emailers and newsletters; to creating and designing full health and awareness campaigns; and production of videos for sustainable development reports. Louise brings a wealth of international experience to the mining table and believes that women are well-represented at an administrative level in the mining industry, but on the whole, she says that there seems to be more men than women in the industry. www. africanmining.co.za