AusIMM advocate for women’s empowerment through Queensland resources sector

AusIMM exist to advance the careers of all people in resources, and support people in resources to deliver economic and social benefits for all members of our community.

We are pleased to share a copy of a recent submission, developed in collaboration with AusIMM members, to the Queensland Government in relation to its new Women’s Strategy.

Enabling economic participation through the resources sector

The new Strategy aims to identify priorities and set a plan for achieving gender equality through participation and leadership, economic security, safety, health and wellbeing.

AusIMM believe the resources sector has an important role to play in achieving these goals. We know, for example, the sector offers a pathway for women to access employment opportunities that benefit not only individual professionals, but the communities in which they work and live.

Our recommendations to Government

In our submission, we call on the Queensland Government to join with AusIMM and the community to advance women’s economic participation and empowerment through the resources sector. We highlight key actions around:

• Promoting opportunities for Queensland women in resources: We call on the Government to work with community partners to showcase the breadth of career opportunities that exist within mining and other key sectors of the Queensland economy, and profile female leaders in these fields. We recommend a particular focus partnering with professional bodies like AusIMM on the opportunities and stories of women working in STEM and related disciplines.
• Collaborating to overcome development barriers for women in resources: We call on the Government to join with the mining sector, professional bodies like AusIMM and community partners to target the advancement of women from early-career technical roles into leadership positions in the Queensland resources sector. We call on the Government to participate in and support scholarships, mentoring, conference, networking, and professional education programs in partnership with AusIMM.
• Addressing cultural barriers for women in the mining workplace: We call on the Government to champion research, including our Annual Women in Mining Survey, support information and knowledge sharing, and participate in programs designed to drive positive cultural change for Queensland women in mining.
• Ensuring access to critical services: We emphasise the need to support programs to drive positive safety, health, and wellbeing outcomes for women in resources, including by addressing barriers to healthcare and other critical amenities on site.
• Learning from other jurisdictions: Critically, AusIMM recommend the Queensland Government monitor the submissions, findings, and recommendations of the WA Parliamentary Inquiry into Sexual Harassment Against Women in the FIFO Mining Industry. These findings will be an important source of information and learnings relevant to the resources sector and must be considered as part of both the Queensland Government’s Women’s Strategy and broader response to sexual violence against women.

We wish to thank all members who have contributed to the development of this paper, and look forwarding to providing further updates on our continued engagement with the Queensland Government in relation to the experiences and opportunities that exist for women in our sector.