Calls for more women in mining, construction, utilities

The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) has today welcomed the launch of a new toolkit of strategies to increase gender diversity in male-dominated industries. The toolkit aims to help the mining, construction and utilities industries to attract and retain female talent.

Based on data from organisations that report to WGEA, women make up just 17% of mining employees, 20% of employees in construction and 22.4% of employees in the utilities sector. Mining has the lowest percentage of female managers at just 13.7%. In comparison, across all industries, women comprise almost 48% of all employees and 34% of managers.

Helen Conway, Director of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, said the toolkit is consistent with the advice the agency has been providing to male-dominated organisations.

“It reinforces practical ways these organisations can meet the challenges they face in increasing their female workforce participation,” Conway said.

“Organisations that make their workplace attractive to female employees will have access to a broader pool of talent and be better able to tackle skills shortages. Importantly, too, gender diversity also leads to improved organisational performance.”

Conway acknowledged that getting more women into male-dominated industries is a long-term game.

“Part of the solution involves looking at how gendered stereotypes about careers impact on the educational choices women make at school and at TAFE or university.

“Many organisations in these industries are now going into schools to ensure young women know about rewarding employment opportunities available to them that they may not have considered.”

At last week’s Australian Women in Resources Alliance (AWRA) conference, Conway said the mining industry had clearly demonstrated an acceptance of the business benefits of gender equality and that other industries would be able to learn from some of the gender diversity initiatives coming out of the sector.

To access the toolkit, click here.