Diversity in the Australian minerals industry

The statistics in the minerals industry are stark:

Women comprise 18% of minerals industry workforce (both sites and corporate) compared to a national participation rate of 45%
Women represent 3% of all employees at mine sites and minerals processing operations
Indigenous women represent 12% of all Indigenous employees

Key barriers to the effective participation of women in the minerals industry relate to a number of key structural issues:

the low level of part time work in the minerals industry compared to other sectors, including other traditionally male oriented industries is an obvious impediment in that 40% of female employment nationally is part time.
the industry’s culture of overwork, long hours and intensity in the minerals industry has had a more negative impact on women than men because of their additional domestic responsibilities.
the remote nature of the industry is also a factor inhibiting female participation in the industry, though this is much less so in regard to the engagement of Indigenous women.
the age profile of women in the industry is also heavily concentrated on those aged 34 and under, a significantly younger cohort than men, who on average fall in the 45 to 54 age bracket.
this profile is likely the result pf a lack of part time and flexible work arrangements for women of parenting age. Whilst women often take the decision to leave the industry to have children and to care for them, a lack of “on-ramps” exist in terms of re-engaging them with the minerals industry when they are able to return to work.
where women have reported positively on their successful, if highly difficult attempts to balance child-bearing and caring with full time jobs, their success has relied heavily on a support base of other carers. For this reason, women with children working in the industry have the most difficulty when living in mining communities in highly remote areas, or in communities that are separate to that of their families.

There are also significant cultural impediments to women's participation that are linked to the structural issues in many ways.

These cultural issues can manifest themselves in terms of a lack of mentor relationships and support networks, gender segregated nature of decision making and task allocation, disadvantage, discrimination or harassment. At worst some female employees feel at risk of sexual assault.

The MCA established a Women and Mining Dialogue in 2004 to engage industry and its external stakeholders on issues related to the effective participation of women in mining, and the extension of the socio-economic benefits of mining operations to women in neighbouring communities. Participants in the Dialogue include key member company representatives; the Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner; Kerry Flanagan from the Office for Women; Prof Marcia Langton.

The MCA considers that if the industry can:

improve the methods it uses to engage women in operational decision making;
create a work-environment that is non-discriminatory and that values diversity; and
develop structures to maximise the community development benefits to women of mining activities

Then we will improve our performance, build our social licence to operate, and provide a more attractive career option for women of all ages and cultures.

There is a clear business case for this approach:

Attract and retain the best and brightest;
Improve workforce quality and return on investment in human capital;
Mirror the diversity of the communities in which you operate - enhanced engagement;
Increased creativity and innovation; and
Flexibility to ensure business survival in a rapidly changing labour market.

Accordingly, the MCA is focussed on identifying strategies, including those used successfully by other male dominated industries, to address the structural and cultural impediments to women working in the minerals industry and engaging with its operations. Our overall objective is to develop an industry agenda to substantially improve, over five years, the engagement of women in the minerals industry and the communities in which we operate.

Related Resources to download:

> Unearthing new resources - attracting and retaining women in the Australian minerals industry (pdf:2.8mb)

> 'Women Breaking Through' in the minerals industry (pdf:400kb).
Address to the 18th Women, Management and Employment Relations Conference, Sydney, Australia, 27 July 2006. Presented by Ms Melanie Stutsel, Director - Environmental and Social Policy, Minerals Council of Australia.

> 'Gender Diversity in the minerals industry' (pdf:92kb). Presentation by Christine Charles, Newmont Australia at the MCA's Sustainable Development Conference 2005.

> 'Women & Mining - Value through diversity' (pdf:710kb). Presentation by Hon. Ros Kelly, Environmental Resources Management Australia, 4 November 2004.