And the imbalance is even starker in the industry’s traditionally masculine roles,with women accounting for 10 per cent of machinery operators and drivers,4.9 per cent of technicians and tradespeople and 7.1 per cent of labourers.
Many of the biggest miners in Australia,in recent years,have embarked on ambitious campaigns to attempt to fix the gender problem,including the world’s top mining group,BHP,which is striving for a 50:50 gender balance target by 2025.
“The mining industry has made a concerted and genuine effort to improve workplace gender equality,” WGEA director Libby Lyons said. “Employers have and are taking action.”
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But Val Madsen,human resources general manager at ASX-listed miner St Barbara and chair of the Minerals Council of Australia’s gender diversity working group,said the reputation of mining as being “dirty,blokey” remained among the biggest obstacles for the sector to overcome,and has called on the wider industry to work more closely with educational institutions and “better profile and market the opportunities for women covering a full suite of professional roles”.
“The industry needs to form stronger ties with schools,TAFEs and universities to ensure that students are considering the industry as an attractive industry to work in,” she said.
“The industry needs to demonstrate to potential employees that the mining workplace is one where diversity is valued and that women are welcome in the industry where they can enjoy a long career.”