other responsibilities beckon and , significantly , when couples choose to start a family . She highlighted how some women must , or choose to , relinquish their career trajectory when having children , however resuming this work at the appropriate level can be difficult , while fulfilling family commitments too .

Exposure On the question of what would foster career opportunities for young women today , Lautze felt that exposure to opportunities was the key .

“ There is a focus on science and maths these days , but your choice of study and career really needs to align with your aptitude ,” she explained . “ Without an aptitude and love for these subjects , you are unlikely to find fulfilment in them .”

Both Lautze and Spies encouraged women in the professional space to encourage younger entrants and talk about their strong points to colleagues . This would help address the reticence among women from certain cultural environments to promote their abilities more openly . Mentoring is also a powerful strategy to nurture women in professional

Livhuwani Lautze - SRK principal consultant

roles ; Spies said she has benefitted greatly from SRK ’ s sponsorship and involvement in the International Women in Resources Mentoring Programme ( IWRMP ), an annual cross-company programme to promote and empower women to progress their careers .

Women adding value This kind of support is part of the foundational work that opens up opportunities for the next generation .

Lautze talked about her success in helping to grow young professional women into more senior roles in resource geology within the corporate environment – adding significant value to the business . Assuming similar levels of responsibility , a highlight in Spies ’ s career has been tackling a highly demanding tailings dam project from planning through to maintenance phase .

Shand has recently been tasked with driving a key strategic priority for SRK in the form of a Global Water Summit – to reinforce the central importance of water stewardship across the range of SRK ’ s engineering and scientific interventions .

The experience of these three successful professional women is testament to considerable transformation in the opportunities for women to enter highly skilled roles in industry . Time will tell how such an evolution will continue , and whether it will be supported by more equitable social norms and business accommodation of the many other valuable roles that women still carry outside of the workplace .

water resistant tunnel system water resistant water resistant steel midsole acid / water resistant

Bata Industrials produces quality footwear including safety shoes to meet various industry needs and requirements . Our shoes guarantee optimum safety , health , and comfort . Our range of footwear includes :

Safety shoes Combat boots Professional leather shoes Gumboots

FOR BULK ORDERS CONTACT : robert . banda @ bata . com | batashoe . zm @ bata . com | + 260 967 793 645

www . fmdrc-Zambia . com 17