INDUSTRY
Comfort and convenience for women in mining A major challenge for the mining industry has been to introduce and ensure the full incorporation of women into the sector, by extension ensuring the provision of appropriate PPE for them.
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Self-defence courses have been introduced by Exxaro’s WIM committees
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emale employees at Exxaro no longer have to grapple with the challenge of finding professional and leisure wear that is both comfortable and fits. Following a redesign of their protective clothing, to suit the female body shape, worries about ill-fitting clothing, hard hats and footwear are a thing of the past. The redesign of the personal protective equipment (PPE) clothing is just one initiative undertaken by Exxaro’s Women in Mining (WIM) committees to attract more women to mining and empower the females who work in this male-dominated industry. Women represent only 13% of the mining labour force of 464 667, according to the Minerals Council South Africa. “The PPE we provide to our female employees who work on the mines is much more comfortable than it
was previously,” admits Vanisha Balgobind, executive head: Human Resources and chairperson: Women in Mining, Exxaro. “And it is all thanks to the WIM committees, who are passionate about who they are and their contribution to their work.”
Committed to empowerment Balgobind says Exxaro strives to ensure that their commitment to woman empowerment at all levels not only makes a difference to Exxaro, but the mining industry itself. “Establishing the committees was a positive step to empowering women in mining. And the PPE was identified as one of many things that didn’t cater for women who work on/in mines. So, we set about redesigning the uniform, so that it is more accommodating to women,” she says. Balgobind says
