AusIMM research reveals encouraging progress for women in mining

The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) has released the results from its annual Women in Mining survey, indicating that while there remains room for improvement, progress is being made for women in the sector when it comes to on-site amenities, travel support and retention.

Polling 460 respondents from a range of professional disciplines, the survey is the only of its kind in the industry that tracks women’s participation and experience in the sector. For the third year running the results launch coincides with International Women’s Day on Monday 8 March.

The full report is available here. 

Some of the most pertinent findings from this year’s survey indicate that:

• women still report that their own workplaces are significantly more inclusive compared to their perception of the broader resources sector
• amenities are improving, with 67.0% of female respondents rating amenities (such as on-site toilets) as good or very good, an increase of 7.5% on previous years.
• travel support is improving, with 73.0% of female respondents rating employer support for travel as good or very good, an increase of 10.0% on previous years.
• a focus on leadership is rated by 79.0% of women in resources as being a top priority for diversity and inclusion in the sector, and is identified as a key professional development priority by 55.0% of respondents.
• the on-site experience is improving for many women in resources, but workforce flexibility and support to manage inter-role conflict between work and home roles continue to be key challenges.

AusIMM CEO Stephen Durkin said that part of influencing change was being able to measure progress and develop focus areas.

“The AusIMM is committed to being an agent of change in the area of diversity and inclusion. Being able to share and track the experiences of women in the resources industry through our annual survey is an important part of that commitment,” he said.

“It’s encouraging to see the industry making some progress in key areas, but there remains work to be done, particularly in the areas of workforce flexibility and perceptions around the inclusiveness of the entire sector.”

This year’s survey, in line with AusIMM’s journey towards reconciliation, also invited Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and First Nations women to self-identify as a first step towards exploring their experiences in the sector and addressing barriers they face.

The survey report launch is happening alongside AusIMM’s International Women’s Day Event Series, attracting more than 1000 delegates across five capital cities across Australia from 5-12 March.

Media Contact:
Brigid Meney
M: 0432885823
E: Bmeney@ausimm.com