The important role women play in making the mining industry stronger, safer & more sustainable

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In 2020, Women in Mining UK, a volunteer-run organisation promoting the employment, retention and progress of women in the mining industry, issued its fourth edition of the “100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining” (WIM100). This book highlights the inspirational work of 100 women in the mining industry from around the world.

We launched this initiative in 2013 because we noticed that the mining industry had fewer women leaders than any other major global industry – and by a considerable percentage.  Having more women in leadership positions is vital as they play an important role in shaping any organisation – be it a publicly listed mining company, ESG consultancy or a not-for-profit association – by bringing different perspectives to decisions made on important issues.

When we dug deeper we saw that one of the main challenges was the lack of role models – someone you can look up to – so Women in Mining UK decided we needed to show that not only were there plenty of women in the global mining industry but also they were doing truly remarkable things. This is when the WIM100 initiative was launched.

Everyone will have a different way of defining “inspirational” but for Women in Mining UK, there are three components:

• A WIM100 is a trailblazer and shining light who makes positive and impactful changes so the industry can operate in a more successful, responsible, sustainable and inclusive way.
• A WIM100 advocates, empowers and demonstrates leadership. She offers proactive advocacy to those working in the mining industry and beyond and she empowers her colleagues to ensure everyone feels heard, welcomed and respected.
• A WIM100 perseveres in the face of adversity, she is resilient and determined. She finds solutions to challenges.

The WIM100 publication is published every two years and anyone can nominate a women they know from any country in the world and at any stage of her career. It’s important we recognise the senior leaders in our industry as well as the rising stars for younger women who are considering a career in mining.

In 2020, we published the most recent edition of the WIM100 book. We were thrilled to have received more than 1,100 nominations for 626 women from 60 different countries. However the sheer number of fantastic entries made judging the final selection of 100 women very hard.

You can view all of the 2020 WIM100 here but below I have highlighted one woman from each region so that you can see for yourself some of the different jobs women are doing in the mining industry and how crucial they are to our sustainable future.

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Europe & Middle East: Bibi-Batima Iskakova, Lead Hydrogeologist at KAZ Minerals – Kazakhstan

Bibi-Batima studied hydrogeology and engineering geology and later on carried out underground hydrogeological surveys in coal mines. Scary stuff! She says, “I had to go to the most remote corners of mine workings in order to understand where the water flows from and in what direction. In old workings, where the roof was sagging, I had to crawl on my knees. I had a fear of the dark and a fear of getting into a gas trap, but I overcame those fears.” Today Bibi-Batima continues her work, with a focus on worker safety.

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Africa: Rosemary Okla, Geographic Information Systems Specialist at the Ghana Geological Survey Authority – Ghana

Rosemary had always dreamt of working in the mining industry and the fact that it was male dominated inspired her to become a female trailblazer. She graduated with a degree in geological engineering and later became a lecturer at a university so that she could transfer her knowledge to budding geoscientists and reshape the industry by attracting other women. When she’s not lecturing at the university, Rosemary focuses on promoting development minerals in the artisanal and small-scale sector. Her efforts have helped artisanal, small-scale women miners earn a steady and reliable income.

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Oceania & Asia: Holly Bridgwater, Principal Industry Engagement at Unearthed – Australia

Holly is an exploration geologist and crowdsourcing lead at Unearthed, a community of startups, developers and data scientists that tackles mining and resource challenges through hackathons, open innovation, and other initiatives. The aim is to give entrepreneurs and people who do not work in mining a chance to tackle problems inside the industry and improve the efficiency and competitiveness of the industry as a whole.

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North America: Julie Kong, Head of Exploration at De Beers – Canada

Julie chose to study exploration because she enjoyed understanding earth systems and the history of rocks and minerals. “It’s like a treasure hunt,” she says. Julie believes the industry’s biggest challenge is developing a new generation of diverse explorers while also using new & improved technology to find new deposits and develop & operate mines more efficiently.

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South America: Sheffield Douglas, CEO of Thunder Mining Company – Guyana

Sheffield grew up in a gold mining community but her first real encounter with the industry was as a teenage environmental activist following a local mining disaster. This experience shaped Sheffield’s view of how mining companies must work with the local environment and communities. One important tool to make sure miners act in the right way is to make sure geological data is collected. “There’s definitely a need for greater emphasis to be placed on several issues including the availability of geodata and better mining area planning in order to prevent unnecessary damage to the environment and its inhabitants,” she says.

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Have any of these women inspired you to study geology or mining? We hope so! The industry needs more students because without you, the mining industry will not be able to deliver on everything the world needs to create a low-carbon future. We need students like you – who care about the environment and the future – to make sure the mining industry is safe and sustainable.

To learn more about what Women in Mining does and to enjoy our members benefits, please join us (which is free to do and open to everyone, regardless of gender or location).