With a focus on transformation, yesterday’s Mining Lekgotla programme saw Anglo American in South Africa’s executive director, Khanyisile Kweyama, join a panel of inspiring female industry leaders in discussing women in mining.
“Employment equity is a way of working together, and it is borne of a company and societal culture that recognises the business value of equal opportunity, diversity, respect and the worth that women can add to traditionally male-dominated environments,” said Kweyama.
She said employment equity is made real by people who understand that growing the role of women at all levels of an organisation contributes not only to the health, capability and competitiveness of a company, but also to its bottom line.
In just over a decade, the number of women in core mining positions has grown more than ten-fold, at certain companies, she said.
More importantly, work places are also starting to change. Mining companies adapt and upgrade their facilities to create the kind of working environments that support women in the most practical ways possible.
“In reviewing the progress that my own organisation has made in its journey towards achieving a more equitable gender balance, I don’t believe we are quite where we wish to be yet. But nor do I believe in downplaying the very significant shifts that some of Anglo American’s business units have taken,” said Kweyama.
Across Anglo American’s South African businesses, the growth of women in top roles has been sure and steady. Currently, 18% of Anglo American’s top and senior managers are in fact women, a total of 193.
“We continually interrogate our strategy to ensure that we give the right thought, direction and leadership to our human resources,” she said.
“I believe this Lekgotla was the first step in formally acknowledging some of the existing issues, and it will provide a valuable platform to plan and implement interventions for empowering and developing more women in this industry,” said Kweyama.
Anglo American remains a passionate advocate of gender equality and she believes it has done a lot to address the challenges that women face from ensuring women employees have personal protection equipment designed with women in mind and in appropriate sizes, to the provision of suitable washroom facilities, childcare facilities and a Code of Good Practice for pregnancy in the workplace.
“We are certainly making positive steps but we know we can do more. Our ethos is one that I am confident is shared by most of you in this room: We don’t wish to offer women in mining the opportunity to be equal. We wish to offer them the opportunity to be exceptional,” concluded Kweyama.