Noleen Pauls
Chairperson for Women in Mining South Africa (WiMSA)
Women in mineral value chains and addressing gender related and other challenges in the mining zone
Good morning ladies and gentlemen.
I am a geologist, a business woman and the chairperson for Women in Mining South Africa. WiMSA is a non-profit organisation to provide a network for women in the mining industry, as well as mentors to the younger women in the industry and to students in universities who are about to enter the mining industry.
WiMSA has just released the results from the 2014 South African Industry Survey. Many surveys have includedwhat is being done to ensure opportunities for women in the mining industry. What WiMSA wanted to know, is whether companies are offering opportunities that women want, and what womenare doing with these opportunities to empower themselves and bridge the gender and wage gap.
314 women took part in the survey, of which 84% of the respondents are in full time employment and 16% are still studying, but are planning on entering the mining industry.
72% hold an operational role as geologist, engineer, metallurgist etc., with the remainder being in corporate positions such as finance, human resources, or marketing.
It is interesting to note that 50% of the respondents are younger than 35, indicating that the industry is attracting people leaving varsity. But only 3% of women are older than 55. The lower numbers in older women could very well be because these women are leaving the industry as they become more senior and are reaching the perceived glass ceiling. This is also an indication that there are few role models in the industry. WiMSA introduced the patron initiative at the beginning of this year, which has brought together a number of women trailblazers to act as the role models women are crying out for.
The recent research by WIM UK shows that gender diversity is good for business. Mining companies exist to make return on investments. It is important to widen the field of human sourcing for a narrow field will not yield a wide area for selection. It is now accepted through scientific research such as WiMUK, that a good male/female mix creates the needed talent base for business growth.
The challenge, though, is not to increase the number of women in mining due to target setting but because it makes good business sense. Companies need to actively seek out empowering and developing women into higher positions in order to gain better gender equality.
The following key insights came out of the survey results, and it is encouraging to see that women working in the industry are passionate about the field and perceive the industry to hold opportunities for them
Regardless of the challenges that are present when working in a male-dominated environment – the women who choose to work in this industry do so because they are driven by a strong passion and interest in the work.
They perceive it to be an industry that is challenging and yet satisfying. Some women indicated that they entered the industry because they were offered bursaries by mining companies, then subsequently stayed in the industry.
All women need to ensure that they are constantly improving their capacity to excel in their current roles and take on new challenges.And focused career development will lead to many more successful women in our industry.
While opportunity exists – it remains a challenging space to get ahead in due to lack of mentorship and career development support
62% of respondents agreed that there is a lack of access to relevant role models and mentors for women in mining and 54% of respondents agreed that there is lack of career and development guidance relevant to them. As the majority of survey respondents were younger women this could indicate that at the more senior echelons of the industry, there is a more pronounced lack of women mentors.
Education, mentorship and skills development programmes are key to breaking down most of the barriers women experience. And women can also start by supporting other women and serving as mentor, sponsor, role model and coach.
The perception remains that gender strongly influences career advancement in the industry, but that superior performance will ultimately overcome this
While legislation in many countries has not prevented women from making careers in any area including mining, cultural values have continued to undermine our efforts, for the challenge to combine being a wife and mother with career development is a tough one which has prevented many a woman from leaving indelible footprints in the workplace including mining.
4% of respondents agree that their company does not value gender diversity. What was determined was that there is not only a gap when it comes to gender equality and diversity, but also that there is a gap in perception of the existence of the problem, which suggests that finding common solutions could be a challenge.
49% of the respondents think that opportunities of advancement are often awarded based on gender.
42% of women feel excluded from informal networks in the workplace based on gender. Men both deliberately and unknowingly make this male dominated area almost inaccessible to women. Topics that inform their conversation, jokes, may scare the stout hearted, but the women should join in this.
So, chauvinism is still perceived as influencing promotions and inclusion in decision making, which is often driven by the fact that women in the industry are not taken seriously, or not perceived as having quality technical and scientific insight.
There is also a strong belief that women have to work harder to receive the same level of recognition and respect as men. However, despite the above insights on a pervasive boys club, women do still feel that superior performance can overcome this and result in advancement.
Women think their benefits are good, but the environment can be hostile at times
They feel that the salary is competitive.
45% agree that working arrangements are not flexible enough vs. 35% who disagree (the remaining 20% are neutral on the issue).
53% found the workplace unsupportive and 41% felt infrastructure/equipment is not tailored to the needs of women; for example, in many mines there are no suitable toilets or change rooms for women underground, protective gear includes a one-piece, jumpsuit overall, which a woman needs to remove in order to use the toilet. Other challenges facing women in mining include the high temperatures underground. While all miners are exposed to this heat, women are at a disadvantage as men can choose to work bare-chested, but women do not have the same privilege.
Another challenge is that of inadequate and inappropriate housing for workers, which means that women cannot live with their families closer to work. Males can stay in hostels provided separately from their families, but most women miners are still responsible for childcare and household duties at home. Women find themselves having to commute from their homes to the mines every day. Transportation then becomes another problem, as the mines do not make provision for workers who commute to work, from home. The mines work on a shift system, so failure to make it to work on time means one has to finish late and, get home late. Overall, women miners work longer hours than men, because they are still responsible, after formal working hours, for the bulk of domestic responsibilities.
An important contributor to the feeling that the workplace is hostile at times is sexual harassment. 32% of women agree that sexual harassment is an issue in the workplace.
Issues well within the control of the employers (i.e.: HR, provision of benefits, etc.) seem to be well controlled – however the broader work place culture is going to require some change.
Women are taking their growth into their own hands
South African women in mining are proactive about their development, ensuring that they actively request additional skills training, join interest groups and seek out suitable coaches and mentors.
There is still work to be done to change the broader attitudes and workplace culture to more readily embrace women, and acknowledge, harness and celebrate their positive contribution.