More and more women are choosing a career in mining. However, many obstacles still stand in the way. The need to promote diversity in the industry has come knocking at the door and this could help in keeping up with market demands and personnel shortages. Personal stories from Canada, South Africa and Argentina.

In the end, Jodi Cockle couldn’t help but follow the mine’s call. The Canadian grew up in the small town of Snow Lake, about 600 kilometers south of the provincial capital of Winnipeg, Canada. A community steeped in rich mining tradition, she was surrounded by miners, including her grandfather and father. Here, in the Canadian prairies, major sources of gold, zinc, copper and other precious metals have been mined for generations. And it was these generations of miners that had a profound effect on her. “I always wanted the mining side of life, it’s in your blood when you grow up with dad and two brothers. I am a tomboy. I went on a tour underground as child and felt more at home than on the surface. I have a fascination for rocks,” Cockle recalls enthusiastically. Nonetheless, the road to become a “pitwoman” was not easy, and there have been many bumps and obstacles along the way. Starting from her high school years, every summer she would apply for an internship at the  mine and like clockwork, she got rejected every time. “There were simply no jobs for women,” she recollects. So in turn, Cockle decided to train as a paramedic and worked in the local hospital for ten years. But an unexpected call came knocking at her door in 2013, the mine’s manager contacted her with a promising offer. “The government is pushing companies to hire more women underground,” he said - this was definitely a sign that times were changing. She didn’t have to think long and took the opportunity to continue her family’s mining heritage. A decade later, with an established career at Hudbay’s Lalor gold mine, she has worked her way up and is now a specialist in long hole drilling and mobile loading cranes. Here in the Snow Lake region, Hudbay extracts gold, zinc, copper and silver at the mine. The new shift in the shaft not only made Jodi Cockle part of the drilling mining team, but it also inspired her to volunteer in the mine rescue team. But some clichés remain persistent, despite governmental efforts and programs. Jodi is part of the Canadian mine rescue team “Diamonds in the Rough”. When they compete in international competitions, the women’s team often encounters skepticism and amused looks. Jodi says: “They almost giggle under their breath. Here comes a group of girls. It’s a mentality of small minds that changes only slowly.” Referring to the ability to work with facts. Challenging the idea of an all-female mine rescue team, in 2018, the Diamonds qualified as the first woman’s team at the International Mines Rescue Competition. To do this, an almost 5 ft tall Cockle had to compete in a relay race against huge Australians, turning a heavy truck tire ten times and throwing 154-lb sandbags over a wall that reached up to her forehead. “No problem for me,” she grins in recollection. “I had trained for that before.” Her team made it to 15th place right away - plus a medal of honor. From competitions to the daily work routine, fighting for recognition is a constant battle. “I was the pioneer for the first 1.5 years. Today, we have close to 20 women out of 250. It’s a small percentage but it changes the field,” she says. Cockle’s career path and story - through its many obstacles - is not an isolated case. Driven by a mix of personal passion and new training opportunities, a new generation of women have fought for their jobs underground and above ground worldwide. Women like Jodi are defying odds and stereotypes. And it is encouraging that corporate support programs as well as governmental initiatives have assisted in helping women achieve what was impossible decades ago. Mining operators have recognized that they must increasingly focus on diversity. By opening career doors to women, the industry gains to win added knowledge and can also address any foreseeable shortages of skilled workers and managers. Paving the path to key issues such as energy transition and climate protection, having women onboard is a positive change that will help maintain the production volumes of important and necessary ore and minerals.

Despite these recent gains: Statistics show that still, too few women and minorities are represented in mining. A 2021 status report conducted by the management consultancy firm McKinsey concludes that “women are underrepresented in mining companies at all levels.” So what could be the reasons for such underrepresentation? When McKinsey asked 1,000 women in 52 countries why they threw in the towel and changed professions after a relatively short time in mining, the consultants kept hearing the same reasons: The work became monotonous, the corporate culture marginalized them, and they saw no opportunities for advancement. From 52 countries, the message was loud and clear, “Women are being pushed aside. Companies are failing to promote them,” the report concludes. Aside from being overlooked among their male peers, there is an added component that is missing for them to succeed in the industry - a lack of or insufficient mentoring. Female role models often help to break the glass ceiling and remove stereotypical barriers. But the data speaks for itself, the McKinsey report also shows that the commitment to diversify hiring practices is worthwhile for companies: “Those who fully utilize a broad-based workforce by hiring more women and fostering their development will lead in productivity, innovation, and sustainability goals.“ Despite such positive news, drawing a uniform global picture is not easy because the values vary depending on the region or survey reliability comes into question. With the following statistical information some conclusions can be drawn as to the proportional difference in hiring women across continents. In Canada, for example, women such as Jodi Cockle accounted for around 14 percent of the workforce in mining in 2019, compared to only 10 percent in 2001 - women are similarly under-represented only in forestry and construction. To put this statistic in perspective, nearly half of Canada’s workforce is female. One begs to question, why is there such a discrepancy in hiring in Canadian mines? However, discrepancies in hiring not only affect women but people of other cultures, including Canada’s First Nations peoples. But compared to women, they are comparatively stronger represented in Canadian mines. In fact, one in eight employees above or below ground belongs to the First Nations - that is three times as many as in the country’s economy as a whole. Perhaps this has something to do with them living in more rural areas, where their traditional lands and communities are. From north to south, it is not only the landscape that changes. In South America, the participation of women in mining is well below the international average, where it’s about 6.3 percent in Peru and 8.6 percent in Chile. Interestingly enough, Australia is an exception by international standards. Here, the women of Down Under have more of a presence in the industry. According to official statistics from 2020, they make up to 18 percent of all employees with about 19 percent of them being managers. According to market researchers at S&P Global Market Intelligence, Australian women make up only 14.9 percent of all executive positions and 18.1 percent of all supervisory board mandates. Which brings us back to a broader question, why is there such a discrepancy in hiring, including in senior positions?

From the four corners of the earth, rich ores and minerals are extracted to provide us with a variety of needs. And from all four corners of the earth, women have shared their stories of struggles and victories in an industry that has only recently recognized their abilities. Caroline Shirindza from South Africa, is a role model that can confirm how difficult it is to break down stereotypes and climb up the ladder in this industry. Having grown up during apartheid in the 1980s, she knows exactly what it is to tear down societal walls and welcome the changes that usher in equality. In the small town of Phalaborwa, not far from Kruger National Park, an area surrounded by several phosphate mines, is where Caroline called home. “I was exposed to the mining industry and affected indirectly because of the  programs the mining companies sponsored in townships,” Shirindza recounts. “I didn’t see myself working there, but my interest grew over time. When you hear stories about accidents, bad discipline and misconduct, you start thinking about how you can make a difference if you become a part of decision making at the mines.” With her vision in sight, she enrolled in the study of mining engineering at the age of 16, to the great surprise of her family - and gained initial experience in the coal fields of the company Anglo American. “I was a miner responsible for a crew of 11 men aged between 40 and 50. Amazingly enough, my team accepted me and took me under their wing to guide and protect me as if I was their daughter.” However, to every coin there is a flip side. Where in the mines, her crew treated her like family, outside the mine the bigger problem were supervisors who didn’t know how to deal with their ambitious junior colleague - who was not only young, but a woman. “They didn’t know how to deal with a woman and brought their prejudices to work. I’d constantly get strange questions like “When are you planning to become pregnant?” This is exactly the kind of conservative thinking that discourages many women from pursuing a managerial career. The result is that women end up feeling frustrated and give up after a year to change jobs. Again, surprising her peers this time, Caroline rose to the defense and stood her ground. “You would see many women not last in the industry beyond year one and change jobs. Giving up was not acceptable for me, it would have fed the narrative that mining is not for women,” says Caroline passionately. Taking charge of her own destiny, she fought her way through and eventually switched to the state-owned energy and petrochemical group Sasol in 2013. With an MBA degree in her pocket, she began to feel the recognition she deserved and was continuously supported by her employer. In 2019, she took over the management of the Bossjespruit coal mine near the city of Secunda, southeast of Johannesburg. Since March 2022, she has been responsible for the supply chain management of the entire mining division. Mining in South Africa is re-defining women’s role and contribution in the industry, here the proportion of women in mining - including management positions - has risen to around 13 percent thanks to government requirements and initiative programs. Where South Africa takes the lead, other countries should follow, seeing as this statistic is even higher than in Europe. As a result of Caroline’s hard work and perseverance, she now looks ahead at a new generation of African women who wish to work in this industry. “When I started, there were very few women, certainly not in supervisory and leadership roles. There were no women to look up to. So I decided to become the mentor I wish I’d had,” says Shirindza, full of optimism. “Sasol, the global company, today has two female EVPs. They are accessible, although it’s not formalized, I do see them as my mentors,” Shirindza says. There is however a word of caution, she notes critically. “We have a fair chance to change things if we get to critical mass. We are far from it, because prejudices in society are still brought into the workplace. At least we now see more women coming into the industry at all levels and across all  functions. Women are now working underground as miners, artisans and engineers, and also running businesses in mining.” She adds, “At least, more women now work across all administrative departments and in the mines.” The time has come for everyone to adapt to the winds of change, this includes down to the smallest  detail. As an example, when it comes to purchasing and designing work clothes and personal protective equipment (PPE), companies must consider a proper fit for both men and women. In addition to being a mentor for other women, the mining expert is also a member of the International Women in Mining forum and is a member of Sasol’s executive committee, which gathers vital feedback from the grassroots level all the way to the group’s management. This assists in advancing issues such as occupational safety, diversity, and inclusion. Her most important message: “I advise women to believe in themselves and competencies. Although we might have different personal needs and challenges to men, we have the same ability.”

As in many industries, mining faces change in different fronts, not only in gender hiring. The impending shortage of skilled workers coupled with increasing technical requirements is likely to increase diversity in the industry. Elisabeth Clausen agrees. She is the first female professor of mining in Germany and has headed the Institute for Advanced Mining Technologies at RWTH Aachen University since 2018. “The industry is not considered particularly attractive, which is why young talent is lacking in many places - above and below ground. Many are not aware that mining is a state-of-the-art industry,” she outlines the situation. So, what can trigger change and make the industry more attractive? “In order for the transformation of a digital, autonomous mine to succeed, we need to help make graduates from various disciplines excited about mining. Diversity means not only recruiting more women, but also career changers from other fields and disciplines.“ In a nutshell, new and smart technologies lead the way to attract a young and diverse generation. Meaning modern mining and production technologies can help tap into a larger pool of talent. This is because technological progress requires less brawn and more brain, or IT competence - for example, to operate remote-controlled machines underground, to determine their maintenance needs using intelligent sensors and software, or to perform sustainability assessments. “In smart mining, the focus remains on people,” says Clausen, “but this urgently requires training qualified young people who have a wide range of competence and problem-solving skills.”

From Canada to South Africa to South America, the trend in hiring is clear - more gender diversity and closing the age gap. María Florencia Dib Ashur from Argentina proves that this message is reaching future generations. After studying chemical engineering, she became the youngest female production manager of Borax Argentina at the age of 26. Until recently, she was responsible for its four mines, two of which are located in the remote north of Salta province on the Bolivian border. “Since I was a child, I was always interested in exact sciences and I participated every year of my high school in provincial and national mathematics olympiads.” “When I chose my career, I never imagined dedicating myself to mining.” says the manager from the headquarters, which is located in Campo Quijano with around 10,000 inhabitants. After graduating in 2016, she remembered applying for a variety of different jobs in different fields, as all young ambitious graduates do. It was the company Borax Argentina, who welcomed her into their team. Their relationship can be summarized in one word: Success. As the first and only woman in production, she quickly began to climb the ladder at the age of 23 and soon managed one of their plants. She summarizes her experiences as mostly positive: “I always felt a lot of respect from my co-workers. I also felt pressure and fears because it was my first job, where I was testing everything I learned and of course learning all the practical part that you don’t learn at university.” A point worth mentioning that women often face inner doubts of ability and talent. “The number of female employees in the company has doubled from six to 12 percent since 2016, even without a prescribed quota,” says Dib Ashur. Her first experience in senior management has already paid off. In the spring of 2022, she joined Livent, which specializes in lithium mining, as plant manager. “I hope that my experience inspires and motivates other women,“ she says. Gone are the days of brave “only” men miners heading into the shaft. Today, brave women also walk beside them. Supporting them are new and innovative technologies that contribute to mining sustainably and safely. The winds are indeed changing and inspiring an industry deep in tradition.

Text: Steffan Heuer     Photos: picture alliance/dpa/Uwe Zucchi, private, Martin Braun