9 minute read
Nadia Statham
from Women in Mining
by wim-magazine
Pioneering a greater role for women in mining
BME – Nadia Statham – Women in mining
Advertisement
Chartered accountant Nadia Statham, who was recently appointed as Financial Director at Omnia Group company BME, is a trailblazer looking to see other women also succeed in mining. Reflec�ng on over a dozen years in mining to date, Statham admits that she found herself in mining quite unexpectedly – but found it both demanding and s�mula�ng. She had begun her career in audi�ng at one of the big four audit firms but grasped the opportunity when invited to join a listed mid�er mining group. “For me, advancing in a career is as much about your inquisi�veness and passion for the work, as it is about your qualifica�on,” she says. “I found myself drawn to the technical and opera�onal aspects of mining, not just the financial. This broad interest in the ac�vi�es of the company and the broader industry helped me become and feel part of the team.” This was par�cularly significant for her progress in a male-dominated sector where many people s�ll have preconcep�ons about where women should fit in. She says the industry can s�ll be something of an ‘old boys’ club’ – but it is changing and opportuni�es for women are growing. “It is important to realise that most roles in mining are no longer defined by the requirement for physical strength,” says Statham. “There are many fulfilling and exci�ng careers that women can pursue in mining – and these are only increasing as automa�on and digital technology are embraced as core pillars of mining’s evolu�on.” Despite only about 12% of mining employees being women, she is encouraged by the gender transforma�on she witnesses in day-to-day engagements with customers. In her experience, there are more women par�cipa�ng in business mee�ngs, making valuable contribu�ons to decisions and general opera�ons. There are also various organisa�ons – locally and globally – focused on promo�ng the role of women in mining, through mentoring and other forms of support. “Within our own business, we have certainly been able to engage women in a range of func�ons –from back-office administra�on to high-level scien�fic roles as well as core technical blas�ng du�es on mining sites,” she says. “There needs to be a clear transforma�on agenda to underpin this progress, and our company takes an ac�ve role as a change agent.” In her role as Financial Director, she is looking forward to making more �me to mentor staff – which she regards as a fundamental way to unlock poten�al and foster personal and technical growth within the business. “Especially in today’s business environment, it is vital that everyone recognises both their individual value and their contribu�on to a team,” says Statham. “I am a firm believer in collabora�on and teamwork as well as driving accountability – a cornerstone of any successful career.” She is a proponent of balancing work and family and believes that women should be given the opportunity to be fulfilled inside and outside of the workplace. She also debunks the myth that women are not asser�ve enough for business, or do not empower other women. “We have plenty of role models in the sector where women successfully perform in demanding managerial and other roles,” she says. “I certainly see my role as including an even greater opportunity to mentor women in the organisa�on.” Statham has relished playing a pioneering role as the first woman in the boardroom in a number of her past roles, daun�ng as this was. It was grist to her professional growth, and she highlights that confidence is built from embracing challenges. “To women who are considering a future in mining, I would advise that they root themselves firmly in qualifica�ons and technical skills –as this founda�on allows women to take an asser�ve role in their work,” she says. “Be true to yourself and your poten�al, and never feel that you don’t have a right to express your opinion.”
Nadia Statham
With significant barriers to entry preven�ng the equal par�cipa�on by women in energy, African Energy Week in Cape Town aims to address these challenges by emphasizing the role that women will play in Africa’s energy future.
Despite making up 50% of the popula�on, women con�nue to represent a minimal role in the African energy industry, accoun�ng for merely 21% of the overall workforce in energy u�li�es. Con�nued gender disparity, inequality, and barriers to entry not only directly prevent women from par�cipa�ng in the energy industry, but drama�cally constrain economic and sector growth. As the con�nent moves to make a significant energy sector transforma�on – on the back of new discoveries, a shi� to renewable solu�ons, and evolving technology -, women have a fundamental role to play in driving Africa’s energy future, and African Energy Week (AEW) taking place in Cape Town on the 9th-12th of November aims to emphasize it. AEW 2021 considers women to be the key drivers of Africa’s energy revolu�on and should, therefore, comprise notable par�cipants in the workforce. As Kenyan President Uhuru Kenya�a stated at the 4th Africa Business Forum 2021, “if you leave out women, who compose 50% of the popula�on, you have locked out 50% of the workforce and reduced your capacity for growth by 50%.” However, even those involved in the energy industry con�nue to play an insignificant role compared to their male counterparts. As the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program notes, the average share of women working in technical posi�ons in the energy industry was 15% with most women working in administra�ve posi�ons. Rather than driving gender inclusivity, the energy industry actually represents one of the most unequal fields worldwide, hindering any effec�ve growth from taking place.
Ironically, studies have shown that companies with women in seniority and leadership posi�ons actually have a higher success rate compared to male-dominated organiza�ons. Notably, the World Economic Forum (WEF) posits that companies with strong female leadership deliver a 36% higher return on equity, and companies with at least one female execu�ve board member outperform those with male-only boards. Addi�onally, energy sector organiza�ons that improve gender equality tend to boost innova�on. The role of women is, therefore, clear and yet there con�nues to be significant barriers to entry that AEW 2021 aims to address.
One of the most notable challenges faced by women in the energy industry comprises the con�nuous under representa�on of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathema�cs (STEM) educa�on. With STEM comprising the driving force of the energy sector – par�cularly in the modern era with technological and renewable solu�ons relying heavily on innova�on -, human capital development is essen�al, and yet women con�nue to be excluded. According to the WEF, women con�nue to remain underrepresented among STEM graduates, where the global gender gap stands at 47% with 30% of male students gradua�ng from STEM subjects in contrast to only 16% of female students. Social norms and tradi�onal cultural values promo�ng STEM as a male domain have resulted in many women turning to alterna�ve professions, despite the poten�al they hold in driving Africa’s energy future. AEW 2021 aims to directly address these challenges, and places women at the forefront of not only the events agenda, but of Africa’s energy agenda. By uni�ng speakers from both the educa�onal and energy sectors, AEW 2021 will drive a discussion on increasing women’s par�cipa�on by addressing the root of the problem – inclusion and representa�on.
However, the challenges faced by women transcend the educa�onal sphere, with barriers to entry within the workforce resul�ng in reduced par�cipa�on in the energy industry. Typically, the energy sector has been a maledominated industry, in which leadership posi�ons, execu�ve roles, and nonadministra�ve posi�ons are generally favored towards men. It is not enough that women have to struggle for their place at the educa�on table in STEM, but once they enter the workforce they now have to compete for their par�cipa�on. AEW 2021 is focused on removing these barriers to entry, emphasizing the role of organiza�ons in ensuring equality, par�cularly in terms of job applica�ons, interviews and employments across every level of the value chain and within various posi�ons in the hierarchy. By not only establishing policies that address the gender gap, but ensuring implementa�on, the African energy sector has the opportunity to be a globally leading sector in gender equality and inclusivity, driving sectoral and economic growth in the
process.
AEW 2021 not only recognizes the value and contribu�on of women to the energy industry, but views women as a catalyst for energy sector success. Through solu�on-based workshops and insigh�ul panel discussions led by women across the educa�on, energy, and policy making sectors, AEW 2021 provides the ideal pla�orm whereby women’s role in energy can be iden�fied, emphasized, and put into ac�on. Africa’s energy future is not only determined by investment and technology, but by innova�on and educa�on, all enabled by women’s increased par�cipa�on. Women are the future, and AEW 2021 will ensure they take up their righ�ul place at the table.
www.awomeninmining.com WOMEN IN MINING | MISS-SA2021 We salute women who stood the test of time
and endured through sweat and tears, the harsh working conditions deep under ground. To make transformation a reality. We say THANK YOU You are our HEROER
Keseena Chengadu
EPP Co-ordinator
Keseena is one of the Project Lead for the African Energy Chamber Energy Pioneers Program, and is part of the Investment Committee at the Chamber With over a decade of hands-on international investments experience, Keseena is a powerhouse for Africabound investment structuring. She has advised a cross-section of institutional, government entities and private investors on business structuring within Africa and is a household name in energy sector investment. Her deep understanding of the whole gamut of African financial markets, her familiarity with the overall corporate needs of an organizations investing in Africa with respect to corporate and tax structuring places her at the pinnacle of investment relevance. Keseena sits on the board of a plethora of local & international companies having a presence in Africa and comes with over a decade of experience in advising high-worth investors on the fiscal security of their organizations. An “out-of-the box" legal thinker with ability to devise legal and financial solutions to unique fact situations, Keseena has a proven track record of providing accurate and effective legal and general investment advice; and of adding value to organizations through the development of comprehensive attention to help mitigate risk and enhance the businesses of our clients.
