Women in Mining – Moving from Compliance to Action

I recently had the privilege of speaking at the 15th Women in Mining (WIM) conference, held in Johannesburg. To spend time connecting with other women who are positively impacting the mining industry, and hearing firsthand accounts of remarkable leadership, resilience, and strength, was truly inspiring.

Despite the conference’s theme of ‘Moving from Development to Leadership’, it quickly became apparent that much work still needs to be done to foster safe and inclusive environments within the sector. The stories shared of the ongoing struggles of women including discrimination, abuse and disempowerment, were deeply moving and served to confirm my own experiences of working with women at the coalface.

National legislation dictates the appointment of women in mining and equal treatment and opportunities for women while protecting them against all forms of harassment and discrimination. It should be a major concern for every stakeholder in the industry, that in 2024 the lived experience of so many women in mining is often out of step with this legislation. It demonstrates that this enabling framework – though incredibly important – is simply not enough. The question we should all be asking is how do we move beyond compliance to ensure that WIM becomes a lived value within organisations?

Safety & Wellness First

Women, like everyone, need to feel safe and well to thrive. In the work that we do with mines across the continent, this is the starting point of every WIM programme we work on, and listening to women’s stories at the conference bore out the critical need for this approach.

Questions that mine leaders should be asking are:

• How do our policies, programs, processes and infrastructure protect and enable women?
• Are we creating an environment that is both physically and psychologically safe for women?
• How do we enable and privilege women’s voices in meetings and brainstorms?
• Are we providing platforms for women to showcase their ideas, and contribute at all levels of the organisation?
• Are women represented equally, and contributing to key forums?

If these questions are being thoroughly interrogated and campaigns of ongoing action are happening, you will be reaping the fruits of inclusivity which are innovation, new and different perspectives and ideas and a happier, healthier, more productive workforce. Without actively creating these inclusive environments, women – and indeed all marginalised people – will forever be in self-protect mode and never give their best. This will ultimately reflect negatively on the performance of the organisation.

A Clear WIM Vision and Strategy

WIM needs to be championed right from the top, with a clear vision & strategy on inclusion, actionable, measurable plans on how to achieve this and regular follow-up. It cannot be a tick-box exercise to ensure compliance and leaders need to take time to consider their WHY for WIM.

The research is clear: WIM is good for business. But the motive for focussing on WIM should extend way beyond that to a deep-seated belief in a moral and ethical obligation to transform the workplace and meaningfully deliver on equity legislation. Ensuring the safety, health and wellbeing of all employees, including women within the industry, is simply the right thing to do and must become paramount. Taking an organised approach to WIM will have positive outcomes on employee wellness, morale, engagement, commitment, job satisfaction, competitiveness, productivity, profitability, and safety.  Not only that, but organisations and the industry at large will benefit, as we create truly inclusive environments.

Engagement and WIM

Engagement is key to WIM becoming a lived value within an organisation. Without clearly structured engagement campaigns that include all male and female employees, WIM initiatives lack meaningful impact and become that all-too-familiar, once-a-year event on International Women’s Day.

Questions to be considered when planning your engagement campaigns include:  

• How are men and women talking about WIM in your organisation?
• Do you have structured themes that you tackle throughout the year?
• Is it exciting and fun?
• Do we follow up and monitor progress on our WIM engagement initiatives?

Collaboration for Success

Recognising the power of collaboration, organisations should tap into available resources and initiatives, such as those offered by governmental bodies and NGOs like the Mine Health and Safety Council (MHSC-https://mhsc.org.za/) and Women in Mining South Africa (WIMSA-https://www.wimsa.org.za/). By leveraging our collective expertise and support networks, we can drive meaningful change in the WIM landscape.

I left the conference feeling hopeful that women are not alone, that we have many learnings to draw on and that there are numerous opportunities to enable WIM to thrive. I challenge all those in leadership positions to explore how they can use their power to empower women.

Written by Taegan Devar, a registered Industrial Psychologist and Managing Director of PeopleSmart Consulting.