Women represent about 15% of South Africa’s roughly 450 000 current mining workforce, and the percentage correlates with the global figure. This is according to a report by the Minerals Council of South Africa’s Women in Mining (WIM).
According to the World Bank, women comprise 15% of the global mining workforce. It indicated the proportion was much lower in many countries, noting challenges such as the general lack of mining codes supporting gender equality in the sector, dangerous working conditions, and discrimination.
The WIM entity stated that it is campaigning for an increase in the amount of women becoming a notable presence and force in the mining industry, aiming for 30% female representation over the next few years with the full support of the non-profit organisation, Women In Mining SA (Wimsa).
Its future target is a 40% rate in general mining employment, and 50% female representation in management positions by 2035.
“Two decades ago, there were a handful of women in the sector and even then, they were not part of the decision-makers,” said Sylvia Tshivhunge, country lead for the water technology provider Xylem in South Africa.
According to Tshivhunge, the mining sector employs nearly 4% of South Africa’s labour force and generates over 6% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“Excluding women would be fiscally negligent. The growth of women in the mining workforce is also a testament that they want the jobs and can do them as well as any man,” she said.
To intensify the uptake of women, strong emphasis is placed on creating a conducive work environment, with improvements in work experiential internships and mentorship opportunities, health and safety improvements, gender-specific facilities, and victim support responding to cases of abuse. In addition is the availability of study bursaries.
According to the WIM, the country’s first woman who graduated with a mining engineer qualification in 1992, paved the way. It further alludes the change to the Mines and Works Act of 1996, which permitted women to go underground. The Mining Charter stipulates a minimum 10% of mine workforces must be women.
The initiative stated that since then, nearly 3 000 women graduated with qualifications related to mining. In 2022, this amounted to 32% of the overall graduating group.
