When it comes to technical industries, female professionals are noticeably absent. In particular, inside of mining, geology and geosciences the female engineering workforce is grossly underrepresented. There’s good reason for this though. Let’s take a quick look at history to understand the background forces.
Laws created gender-based inequality.
Here’s a shocking fact. Up until 1978, even over in friendly and polite Canada, it was outlawed for women to work as miners. The only women who were legally allowed on mining sites were those working in medical or office positions. There was a clear divide between accepted female and male roles and even the law upheld the segregation.
Evolution creates progress.
Thankfully we’ve come a long way in a short period of time. Women are no longer advocating for inclusion. We’re seeing female enrolment to study technical fields steadily increasing. With the infusion of some gender diversity at the academic level, it’s safe to say that we’re changing outdated stereotypes at the outset for the newer generations. While we still have a long way to go before we reach an equal gender representation, it’s refreshing to see strides in the right direction.
Women forging ahead geology.
Due to a combination of a lack of popularity and deeply engrained socialization of gender roles, women are less likely to pursue traditional male industries. Being a lone pioneer or electing to join a minority comes with its own set of unique challenges. Being a change agent won’t appeal to everyone. This will likely reduce the speed of change and slow the realization of achieving more balanced workplace diversity. At Easy Skill we are proud to support women in engineering and we would like you to meet Claire, one of our Geology Engineers.
Working together is better.
Back in early 2019, Claire first arrived in New Caledonia from France. Excited to tackle new challenges and also recognizing the value of building a support network, she joined an influential community known as Women in Mining. “We share many ideas inside of Women in Mining. This open and honest dialogue helps me to process my thoughts, share my experiences and learn from others. We share our challenges, offer solutions and help lift each other up. It makes me feel understood and empowered,” Claire shared.
The female experience of a career abroad.
When the opportunity arose for Claire to take her career to the skies, she was excited to gain international expertise. It was a bold move to consider leaving her world behind, but she knew in her heart it was the right move for her. Her partner was also excited by the opportunity to join her for this adventure in New Caledonia and so they decided to embark on the journey together. “Sharing new experiences together has been challenging at times and incredibly rewarding. I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” Claire said.
Change takes time and courage.
As one of the few women in mining, it can be slightly intimidating at times. “It’s important to speak up, share my knowledge and do so with courage and assertiveness in order to build trust with my peers,” Claire revealed. She admits to noticing a change even over the past year where companies are beginning to recognize the importance of gender diversity. “As companies start to appreciate the value of diversity to drive better business outcomes, I believe we’ll see more women colleagues,” Claire admitted excitedly.
Women are leading and leading change.
The industry can benefit from more diversity at the helm as well. Christel Bories, Chairman and CEO of Eramet, is an inspiring female leader in the mining industry. She was recently named Digital Manager of the Year for her role in leading the company’s digital transformation. The inclusion of women in mining is a benefit to everyone. Evidence of shift is visible all around us and the mining industry is eager to increase diversity and attract, recruit and retain more women.
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