Canadian gov’t bankrolls Women in Mining initiative

Status of Women Canada has pledged $250,000 to fund a new project designed to get more women employed in the mining industry.

Under the plan, non-profit organization Women in Mining Canada (WIM) is tasked with engaging industry associations, companies, schools and experts to develop a Women in Mining National Action Plan.

Canada’s Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women Kellie Leitch announced the initiative in a speech during the Canadian Aboriginal Minerals Association’s conference in November.

“Across our country, we are supporting community-based projects like this one that encourage women to take on rewarding careers in rapidly growing sectors such as mining,” Leitch said. “We know that when women succeed, our entire country prospers.” 

The focus will be to get more women in senior executive roles and non-traditional roles, such as trades, heavy-equipment operators, miners and engineers, WIM said in a release.

WIM says women represent 14% of the Canadian mining workforce, filling 12.3% of senior occupations, 5.9% of board positions and just 1.4% of CEO roles.

“Women represent an enormous talent pool for Canadian companies and have an important role to play in the mining sector — both now and in the future,” WIM president Tabetha Stirrett said.

A dozen large mining companies are participating in the project, as well as the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum and the Mining Industry Human Resources Council. Representatives from these participant organizations will form an advisory committee that will inform the action plan’s development. The companies will then implement their own action plans in the communities in which they operate.