Modern Mining August 2022

WOMEN IN MINING

Women make strides in mining Propelled by policy and legislation, the mining sector is making strides towards meeting gender equity targets, with mining majors targeting between 30% and 40% of women employment by 2025. Modern Mining caught up with ENSafrica’s head of department: natural resources and environment, Ntsiki Adonisi-Kgame, to chat about the gains being made in the traditionally male-dominated mining sector’s gender equity drive. By Nelendhre Moodley .

be women. At senior and middle management level, companies need 60% HDPs, 25% of whom must be women, and at junior management level the target is 70%, 30% of whom must be women. “Although there has been tangible progress in terms of integrating women into the industry, women remain underrepresented in the mining industry, and it will take the joint participation of all stakehold ers in the industry to achieve better results,” says Adonisi-Kgame. According to the Minerals Council of South Africa, the number of women working in the mining sector has increased significantly in the past 15 years, from around 11 400 in 2002 to 64 500 today. However, out of a total workforce of nearly 460 000, this trans lates to just 14% women employed in the sector. The global number of women in mining is between 8% and 17% – a clear indication that industry globally still has some way to go before the sector is truly transformed. “The Minerals Council and its members set a stretch target in 2020 to at least double the percent age of women in mining by 2025, reaching 30% to 40% women representation across the industry,” explains Adonisi-Kgame. “While this may be a challenging target to meet, it is not impossible. In fact, research shows that at tertiary (university) level, there is a greater intake of females, including in subject matters such as engineering (mining engineering), metallurgy and geology, among others.” Although there are an extensive number of women initially employed by the mining sector, the challenge remains in retaining them, which the sec tor fails to do, given that women advancement and the pay-gap continue to be issues of contention. According to Adonisi-Kgame, pay disparity remains a key concern and while there is progress in this regard, it will take time to bridge the pay gap. “There is not always transparency when it comes to remuneration between the genders. Often, even when men and women undertake the same jobs, men are gifted with titles that ensure they are paid a higher salary and, given the confidentiality clause that surrounds remuneration, the pay gap is often shrouded in secrecy.” However, if mining companies are to meet their gender equity targets, it is imperative for a mind-set change that accompanies company policy and that

ENSafrica’s Ntsiki Adonisi-Kgame.

A lthough women were prohibited from work ing underground from 1935, as legislated by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), until legislative changes in 1996, South African women have played a key role in above-ground min ing positions long before they were legally allowed to work underground. Given the call for gender equity in the sector, the Mining Charter has set targets for employment equity that must be reached within five years. At board and executive management level the target is 50% his torically disadvantaged persons, 20% of whom must Natascha Viljoen – CEO, Anglo American Platinum.

Of the people employed in the mining sector, just 14% are women.

24  MODERN MINING  August 2022