Khanyisile Kweyama. Mining Lekgotla WIM Speech. Good morning ladies and gentlemen, and fellow panellists.

Transcription

1 Khanyisile Kweyama Mining Lekgotla WIM Speech Good morning ladies and gentlemen, and fellow panellists. There is a simple truth about employment equity, and specifically women in mining, which hints at why some companies seem to be getting it right, and why so many others are not. This truth is that employment equity is NOT a demographic employee count. Nor is it about giving unearned opportunities, lowering working standards or reducing job requirements to make it easier to employ women. 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. Employment equity is made real by people who understand that growing the role of women at all levels of their organisation contributes not only to the health, capability and competitiveness of a company, but also to its bottom line. Companies that do not accept and embrace this truth stand to lose far more than the chance to tick off a few points on their regulatory checklists. Fortunately, I see around me today, a room filled with evidence of the progress we have made in changing the very fabric of one of the most male-dominated industries in South Africa. Since just a decade ago a time when it was still technically illegal for a woman to go underground in a mine in South Africa the number of women in core mining positions has increased by as much as more than ten-fold, at certain companies. More importantly, work places are also starting to change, as mining companies adapt and upgrade their facilities to create the kind of working environments that support women in the most practical ways possible. An environment (in) which all employees are comfortable and proud to work. 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 yet 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. Every success story and action that we are able to share, discuss and debate today, Page 1 of 6

2 provides food for thought and, hopefully, inspiration that will help others to take their own equity initiatives a step further. With that in mind, I d like to share some of the work that is currently being done at Anglo American to promote the role of women within our industry. Employment equity and specifically creating meaningful and sustainable opportunities for all members of our workforce is a pivotal part of Anglo American s on-going aspiration to be an employer of choice and the world s leading global mining company. While it is a mandatory target within the Mining Charter and the basis of South African labour legislation, we also see it as an opportunity to create the kind of environment where existing and potential employees want to work, and to uplift our communities by investing in people who can and will share their knowledge, skills and wealth. Across Anglo American s South African businesses as whole, the growth of women in top roles has been sure and steady: currently, 18% of our top and senior managers are women. That s 193 women in total, up from 135 in 2010, and 187 in By driving change from the inside out, we strive to be an example of successful corporate transformation for the benefit of all stakeholders. We therefore continually interrogate our strategy to ensure that we give the right thought, direction and leadership to our human resources, for example by reexamining how we attract women to the business, how we prepare those currently in the business for management roles, and how we can adjust our training and development to better support this objective. I have already alluded to one example of how these efforts are playing out, and that is at our Platinum business: Since 2005, the number of women in core skills has grown from a small 405, to a laudable 4,686 in Almost 900 of these women were appointed in the past year alone. Women now make up almost 13% of our Platinum business total workforce, while the total participation of women across the four management levels reached 20%. Our Platinum business has accelerated its progress through fast-tracking programmes for women in engineering and mining occupations, as well as through targeted recruitment and improvements in the working environment (such as more suitable change-houses, better fitting personal protective equipment and women s forums at all operations). It has also put women-specific quotas in place for participation in training, learnerships, bursaries and fast-tracking programmes. A cadet programme is in Page 2 of 6

3 place to address entry-level appointments. Additionally, women who fail medical tests are given the opportunity to address the shortcomings before undergoing a second test. Progress is slow, but steady, and today our Platinum business is able to celebrate the imminent qualification of two African women as mine managers, as well as the appointment of its first woman group safety manager. As with most industries, the supply of qualified and passionate talent depends on a strong pipeline, and it starts at high school level. Through our Platinum business, Anglo American therefore supports the Techno-Girl programme in conjunction with the Gauteng Department of Education and UNICEF. This programme targets young girls from poor families who are studying science and mathematics at high school. It provides shadowing opportunities to Grade 9 girls for three years, with the aim of growing skills in disciplines like engineering, finance, technology and mining. As a participating company since its inception, our Platinum business provides financial support and is currently tutoring a number of girls who have chosen to follow engineering careers. If they pass their subjects they will be accommodated at Platinum s Engineering Skills Training Centre. In 2012, 21 girls at different Platinum operations took part in the Techno-Girl programme. Empowerment and equality clearly thread through all levels of the business, including health and wellness. At our Thermal Coal business particular attention is given to issues relating to women in the workplace, through a series of health and wellness days. This includes partnering with specialised service providers, most recently the Cancer Association of South Africa, which brought a mobile clinic to our Zibulo colliery. While these actions help to raise understanding and tolerance of the differences between men and women in the workplace, experience has shown that in order for these initiatives to be successful, management must be seen to be supportive. Visible felt leadership is essential to ensuring buy-in from both genders. Another of Thermal Coal s initiatives focuses on getting back to basics in terms of supplying facilities for female employees. Internal audits have indicated a need to Page 3 of 6

4 upgrade existing facilities so that female employees have access to safe and comfortable amenities. Specifically this includes: Privacy Sufficient locker space Childcare facilities Clear signage, and Maintenance of the facilities and amenities. By the end of this year, most if not all of our Thermal Coal operations will have completed the upgrade of female facilities, lifting the morale of our women while also reducing time taken to change clothing before or after shifts. Thermal Coal also maintains a well-established bursary scheme, which aims to develop suitable students who are then given professional career opportunities within the organisation. In the past year, 139 students received bursaries from Thermal Coal in 2012, more than half of whom were women. For someone who says that equity is NOT about demographics, I realise that I am quoting quite a few numbers. But these statistics are simply a result, or reflection rather, of the underlying commitment and culture that drives the way we do business. Allow me to offer another example: Our Sishen operation, which is part of our Kumba Iron Ore business, is successfully using young female artisans and operators who are already employed at the mine to participate in exhibitions and road shows to schools and colleges, to encourage young women to pursue a career in mining. Kumba has also partnered with government and local colleges to establish a bursary scheme and bridging programme, which will help to ensure that women who apply to enrol in engineering and artisan learnerships have the correct minimum educational requirements. Additionally, the team is involving line management in the early stages of the recruitment process to secure their buy-in and support. Sishen s Women in Mining committee is helping to ensure that potential barriers are identified and managed. For example, the team has introduced a rehabilitation functional assessment to the selection process, to reduce the high percentage of new female recruits who are not physically fit for the demanding work in a mining environment. These combined efforts have seen the overall proportion of female technical learners at Sishen mine increase from 6% to 20% in the past two years. Page 4 of 6

5 In fact, from 2007 to 2012, the overall number of women at technical training centres across Kumba Iron Ore has more than doubled, while the number of women in technical support has more than quadrupled. I am also proud to say that Kumba Iron Ore was also a key player in what I believe was a watershed gathering for women in mining in South Africa, and that is the first annual Women in Mining Lekgotla in 2012, which we hosted in partnership with South Africa's Department of Mineral Resources. Attended by women working within the broader mining industry, the Lekgotla has led to the establishment of a programme of action to address the resolutions that were adopted. Some of these included: The need to intensify awareness of sexual harassment; The need for women to play a role in policy development; and The need to conduct research and development around the ergonomics of operating underground plants and machinery. Maternity issues also need to be addressed, and diversity programmes about culture and workplace attitudes should be encouraged. I believe this Lekgotla was the first step in formally acknowledging these issues, and it will provide a valuable platform to plan and implement interventions for empowering and developing more women in this industry. While much of the under-representation of women in mining could in the past be linked to broader social inequalities, as well as legal constraints, today there are no such excuses. Physical and health issues, working culture and workplace facilities all pose considerable obstacles, but ones that are by no means insurmountable. Anglo American remains a passionate advocate of gender equality and I believe we have done a lot to address the challenges that women face: from ensuring our female 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. Our involvement with organisations such as Women in Mining UK, and Women in Mining South Africa, allows us to listen to women within our industry, address their concerns and develop objectives accordingly. Collaborating and building these partnerships form a vital part of our progress. We are certainly making positive steps, but we are committed to achieving more. Page 5 of 6

6 From our boardroom to the mine face, we want women to have access to the many rewarding career opportunities provided by our industry. 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. Thank you. Page 6 of 6