By Taegan Devar, industrial psychologist and MD of PeopleSmart.
In an article published in the Business Times on 20 October 2024 Chief Director of Mines, David Msiza, is quoted as saying, “While things have improved (for women in mining), safety of women is not where it should be.”
Supplied by PeopleSmart
In the past 30 years, the number of women working on mines has grown to 72 000 (19% of the mining workforce), yet it is only in the past decade that a concerted effort has been made to safeguard women in mines.
Msiza asserts that from 2015 onwards there has been a drive for improved safety for women miners. He says that before this, there were frequent reports of women being attacked, killed and sexually harassed underground.
However, it should be noted that these reports are far from a thing of the past. He rightly points out that while progress has been made, women’s safety in mining still falls short of where it needs to be, and that more must be done to ensure the safety of women underground. From the experiences of women in mining that we hear of through our work, this focus must extend to all mines.
All-too-often we hear stories of how women in mining are being treated poorly and unequally and how they are being verbally and sexually harassed and abused. And while some mines may have the will and/or the wallet for a buddy system for women working in remote parts of a mine, this is not the case for all mines.
Msiza is to be applauded for his insistence that more needs to be done to safeguard women in mining. “In no time we will issue a directive to say, yes, there has been progress in some mines, but women are still complaining.”
While this is a vital step in the right direction – and we eagerly await further details of this directive – efforts cannot end at policy level and must be supported through buy-in at all levels of the industry.
The reality on the ground is that although many organisations have initiatives in place like increased lighting in cages and underground, female PPE and GBV helplines, the real challenge often lies in supporting and sustaining these initiatives effectively.
The question that must be asked is: How can organisations go beyond compliance and truly support enabling legislation to ensure that Women in Mining becomes a lived value within their operations? Business’s alignment with and proactive implementation of department directives is critical if we are to ensure safety for women (and indeed men) in mining.
This must begin at the point of actively creating physically and psychologically safe and inclusive environments, where women are not in constant ‘self-protect mode’ and operating from a place of fear. In the work that we do with mines across the continent, this is always the starting point. It includes exploring how an organisation’s policies, programmes and infrastructure protect and enable women – ensuring the environment is safe on all levels, creating enabling platforms for women to have an equal voice, and ensuring adequate female representation in key forums.
Another critical arm to any Women in Mining initiative is education and awareness. As an example, in discussions about sexual harassment of women, we frequently encounter employees who are uncertain about what constitutes inappropriate behaviour or are unaware of the details of their organisation’s policies. Safeguarding policies alone will not be effective if the understanding around abuse is vague or varies between people.
Without structured, ongoing engagement initiatives that include both men and women, Women in Mining efforts risk becoming superficial, and will remain limited to an annual event like International Women’s Day. This includes how men and women are talking about Women in Mining, having structured themes throughout the year, ensuring initiatives are engaging and impactful and tracking progress on engagement efforts.
Another powerful mechanism in Women in Mining is the empowerment of local champions within organisations who regularly share accessible information about health and safety, while emphasising confidentiality and anonymity. This can significantly improve understanding, along with reporting and prevention of incidents and empower victims to access the support they need.
To further enable legislation and policy, these must be integrated into a broader organisational Women in Mining vision and strategy, supported by leadership and with clear, actionable steps. Mine leadership must reflect on their genuine purpose for advancing and safeguarding women and commit to fostering a culture that embodies this purpose. This cannot be a tick-the-box exercise for compliance.
Finally, collaboration and partnership are key. Organisations should tap into available resources and initiatives, such as those offered by the Mine Health and Safety Council (MHSC)1 and Women in Mining South Africa (WiMSA)2. By leveraging our collective expertise and support networks, we can drive meaningful change for Women in Mining and grow their involvement to the point of parity.
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| Introducing Taegan Devar ad PeopleSmart Devar is an industrial psychologist and the managing director of organisational development company PeopleSmart (www.peoplesmart.global). The consultancy focusses on leadership development, the design of self-sustaining wellness and safety programmes, Women in Mining, executive coaching and team building in Africa. For more information contact (info@peoplesmart.global). |