How Australia’s mining sector locks women out of high‑paying roles |
Mining is a critical industry for the Australian economy and has the potential to offer secure, well-paid and meaningful careers.
But the evidence from our review of the 29 studies of 40 years of research on women working in the Australian mining sector is clear: gender inequality is built into the structures, cultures and places that define the industry.
Until those are addressed, progress will remain partial and many women will continue to decide that entering or staying in the mining industry is not worth the cost.
This is not a pipeline problem
The latest data from Workplace Gender Equality Agency, released last month, shows mining remains one of the most unequal industries in Australia when it comes to gender and pay.
In addition, under new legislation in effect from April 1 this year, employers with more than 500 staff are now required to commit to action targets to improve the gender pay gap.
Companies that are heavily involved with mining make up four of the top ten biggest companies listed on the ASX: BHP, Rio Tinto, Fortescue and Newmont. Although their gender pay gaps are smaller than those of the major banks, they remain substantial, ranging from 7.2% to 12.8%.
Across Australia’s mining sector, women remain significantly under-represented, making up only 23% of the total workforce according to the latest Workplace Gender Equality Agency data.
However, this hides the facts that the majority of women in........