Nonprofit organisation (NPO) Women in Mining South Africa (WiMSA) is embarking on initiatives to progress and develop women working in the mining industry.

WiMSA is the only NPO in South Africa that enables women in the industry to network with one another; it offers opportunities for mentoring and advocates for women working in the mining industry.

WiMSA chairperson and mining major Anglo American Platinum business improvement head Petro du Pisani tells Mining Weekly that the organisation’s notable project for the year is a mining career booklet that the organisation plans to launch in the coming months.

The booklet will showcase various careers – such as geologists, drone operators and lawyers – available to women in the mining industry.

It will also highlight how technological advancements are creating more career opportunities for women wanting to work in the field, as technology can enable women to work remotely, in addition to improving the overall safety of operations and digitalising the more labour-intensive aspects.

Du Pisani says companies, such as Impala Platinum and Fraser Alexander, have already sponsored the booklet and WiMSA is compiling it. More sponsors will be coming on board to sponsor individual careers.

“We want the booklet to feature strong female role models working in the mining industry with whom younger women can identify. This will, hopefully, encourage more women to consider pursuing a career in mining by showing that it does not only entail working underground.”

WiMSA hosted a networking workshop on August 11 to teach women the importance of networking and how to network successfully, and will host a workshop on August 18 on how mining operations can start their own WiM chapters.

Further, the organisation released a documentary on July 21 that covers the experiences of women working in the industry, and WiMSA’s 12-year history. The documentary is available on WiMSA’s social media platforms.

WiMSA’s podcast, called Network, is available on its website and on streaming platforms, such as iTunes and Spotify, with members of the organisation conducting interviews with women in the mining industry.

The organisation participated at this year’s Investing in African Mining Indaba, held in May, sharing a booth with organisations Women in Mining UK (WiM-UK) and Women in Business (WiMBIZ). At the Indaba, WiMSA hosted a panel discussion sponsored by law firm Webber Wentzel regarding the importance of environmental, social and corporate governance in mining.

Successes

Du Pisani has seen improvements in gender equality from a corporate perspective, as majors and other mining houses are undertaking more initiatives to attract women to the industry.

Organisations, such as WiMSA, are necessary as women accounted for only 14% of the global mining workforce in 2021, according to Minerals Council South Africa.

Hence, WiMSA works with the Minerals Council Women in Mining task team, providing thought leadership on various topics.

These topics include promoting gender diversity and inclusion at all levels; helping women to attain their full potential and closing the gender pay gap; developing policies and programmes that advance and protect women, including policies on gender-based violence, sexual harassment and alternative placements during pregnancy; adapting workplaces to accommodate women, including ablution facilities, lockable toilets, changing rooms, and childcare and lactation rooms; improving safety measures; and recognising and adjusting for the different physical capacities of women.

The organisation provides multiple perspectives from women working in different facets of the mining industry, which allows for greater insights on the roles they play.

“We focus on thought leadership, networking and mentoring and we also emphasise advocation. We are active on our social media platforms where we provide guidelines on how women can achieve their career goals, but there is still a lot of work to do in this space,” says Du Pisani.

The organisation’s mentorship programme is aimed at women in the first ten years of their careers, helping them achieve leadership positions in mining companies.

Du Pisani says that, while this programme is not offered for university students specifically, students are welcome to attend a free mentoring event, which the organisation hosts once a month.

She says the programme has gained more members since WiMSA’s inception in 2010, with the organisation now boasting more than 10 000 followers on social media.

WiMSA aims to encourage more school learners to take science, technology, engineering and mathematics as subjects by showing that a career in mining can be rewarding and merits consideration.

“Our purpose as WiMSA is to inspire women to actively build a better world through mining. We have to define what that means in an ever-changing world and make sure that everything we do aligns with that purpose and vision,” concludes Du Pisani.