WOMEN IN MINING
GENDER EQUALITY
in the industry Without question, gender inequality in the mining sector persists and is acutely represented by the lack of women occupying senior industry positions. By Dibuseng Hlole*
M
Dibuseng Hlole believes that there is a lot of potential for women in the mining industry to progress
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ost of the decision-makers in many of South Africa’s mines are men. This is partly attributable to women being deprived of opportunities that would enable them to thrive in the industry like their male counterparts. It is important to understand why women don’t progress as much as men in the mining industry. One of the reasons is that women are not treated the same as men in this industry – the perception that physical strength is an industry requirement persists. Access to adequate skills and resources is another factor that prohibits women from progressing successfully in the industry. Under the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) leads the Women’s Rights and Mining organisation. The aim of this organisation is to establish a better understanding of gender dimensions of mining and create awareness and secure commitment to take action and uphold women’s rights in the mineral supply chains. In my opinion, the MFA is not well recognised in most local mines. It is important that institutions such as the MFA collaborate with Women in Mining SA to access the database of women who are active in the sector. From a collaboration point of view, facilitating experience sharing and influencing policy on integration in the mining sector is essential.
Promoting gender equality There are two approaches that can be used to promote
