Women Workers Career Development Challenges and Strategies: An Explorative Study

Revista de Gestão

PurposeThe core of this study is women in mining. The aim of this study was to analyze the perception of women, about their work environment, their career, the human resources policies and practices and the work–family balance in the context of a multinational organization in the sector.Design/methodology/approachThe case study was carried through semi-structured interviews with 27 women who work in this organization.FindingsAlthough women report that they are capable of exercising any position/function in the company, they perceive wage gap in the investigated organization; that maternity leave and the fact of having children impact their career and their rise to higher positions in the organizational hierarchy negatively; situations of prejudice and discrimination experienced at work. Sometimes subtly, sometimes not so subtly, but they still constitute barriers faced by women in mining.Originality/valueAlthough the debate around the issue of gender inequality in organizations is n...

8, 2019

The thesis uncovered the challenges faced by women in the mining sector mainly focusing on Unki mine. Structuration theory was adopted in the study and in particular the concepts of structure and agency. The mixed method approach was used in conducting this study and in particular questionnaires, in-depth interviews and key informant interviews. The findings from the study show that women face different forms of challenges in the informal sector emanating from poor government and lack of appreciation of the sector. All in all five themes were derived from the challenges women face in their career progression. Organizational and social factors were the most pervasive challenges which women face in the mining sector. Results also showed that there are different mechanisms adopted by men to outmaneuver women in the mining sector.

SA Journal of Industrial Psychology

Orientation: Even though there has been a phenomenal increase in the number of women employed in the mining industry, the figures hide many gender inequalities as the gendered impediments to career advancement persist despite South Africa’s remarkable equity policy regime. However, it is unclear, from the perspective of the women themselves, how their career advancement is encumbered.Research purpose: This study reflects on the prospects for career advancement by exploring the work and organisational experiences of women in core mining positions in an open-cast mining organisation in South Africa.Motivation for the study: To reflect on the prospects for career advancement of women in core mining positions.Research approach, design and method: Eight professional women, selected through a purposive sampling procedure, participated in in-depth unstructured interviews. Data were analysed using Creswell’s simplified version of the Stevick–Colaizzi–Keen method, guided by the lens of gende...

Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 2014

Mining as occupation in South Africa was traditionally reserved for men only and mining law prohibited women from being employed in operations underground. In South Africa, new mining legislation aimed to rectify previous inequalities and disadvantages in the mining sector and specifically provides for the inclusion of women in core mining activities. Although women's participation in the industry has slowly risen since the introduction of the Mining Charter and related government equity legislation, women are still at the periphery of the industry. Furthermore, white women continue to dominate the professional positions in mining and black women tend to engage mostly in manual work and artisanal mining. This research aimed to determine perceptions regarding workplace opportunities for women working in core mining positions. Findings are being drawn from empirical work undertaken at a platinum, phosphor and copper mine. The quantitative and qualitative research paradigms were used. It is evident from the research that specific attention should be given to the career development and progression of women working in the core business of mines. Practical recommendations are made which could be implemented and used by mining companies to overcome some of these issues.

Development in Practice, 2006

WISDOM

This paper draws on a qualitative philosophical investigation to examine and create understanding of existing feminist problems in the coal mining industry in modern society. An attempt is made to understand the diachrony of gender stereotype phenomena and provisions that lead to female obstacles on their direct interaction at workplace across businesses by contextualising current occurrences from the Mining Industry. The findings will most likely aid in boosting the percentage of women working in productive capacities and offering answers that contribute to the long-term viability of the business.

Resources Policy, 2021

The global mining industry is male dominated. In the US, women constitute 13% of the mining workforce and 16% of mining related college programs. Similar trends exist globally. Efforts are being made by educational institutions, mining companies and professional organizations to attract women to the industry to achieve a gender inclusive industry. Such efforts have yielded minimal dividends partly due to insufficient reliable data on challenges confronting female miners. To provide empirical data to guide such efforts, we undertook a survey to understand the reasons for low female participation in the industry with participants from Ghana, USA, Ireland, Canada and other countries. The survey sought to identify challenges faced by female mining stakeholders and availability of support facilities for handling these challenges. Open and closed ended questionnaires were administered through online platforms. The responses were analyzed quantitatively using summary statistics and qualitatively using thematic analysis. About 38% of the respondents expressed satisfaction with their current jobs. The high dissatisfaction rate stems from lower salaries compared to male counterparts (29%), gender-based discrimination (53%), sexual harassment (37%) and sexual demands during hiring (17%). The key hindrances to a gender inclusive mining sector have been grouped into seven themes including discrimination, harassment, gender ideologies, and lack of support. We propose a four-way mind map model requiring commitment from government, companies, chambers of mines, and employees to ensure a gender inclusive mining industry.

Abstract Purpose– Given Chile’s high projected deficit of skilled labor in its mining industry, the purpose of this paper is to explore the gender barriers present that hinder women from entering the sector. Design/methodology/approach– To do this, a descriptive and interpretative study was undertaken and in-depth interviews were conducted with 70 male and female workers belonging to the operating areas in the mining companies located in northern Chile. The data were transcribed and analyzed through a qualitative approach using discourse analysis by thematic categories. Findings– The results show that gender barriers are related to: self-discrimination of workers themselves, family demands, and male dominance in the field. Originality/value– These results are relevant for strategic planning in the mining industry. They allow us to redirect policies to incorporate women in the sector in order to counteract the aforementioned deficits. The practical implications of this study for the mining sector in general include the incorporation of, for male employees, awareness workshops focussing on the importance of the inclusion of women in mining and aspects that favor this process and, for female employees, leadership and empowerment workshops. These initiatives will help to generate a more satisfying work environment that promotes better human resource management and productivity of the sector. KeywordsMasculinity, Chile, Mining, Gender barriers Paper typeResearch paper

The object of this paper is devoted to test for the presence of gender discrimination of hiring, in one of the main important economy sector of Tunisia, which is the Tunisian mining industry in the Southwest inmate fully by the largest public mining Firm TPGC (1897), which is, in fact, the only industrial pole of employability of young scholars graduates in this region of the Tunisian mining Basin. The result of this study proves that is no equity between the two genders. The reason of this segregation in favor the masculine gender returns to the specificity of this mining sector that depends more in the physical efforts than mental practices.