Parental Leave Policies in the Mining Sector

The report examines parental leave policies in the mining sector across 12 countries, comparing national laws with corporate policies. While many mining companies provide benefits that meet or exceed legal requirements, the report identifies a 'leaky pipeline' where women leave the industry between ages 35 and 44. This suggests that formal policies are undermined by workplace cultures that create anxiety around pregnancy disclosure and a lack of support for the transition back to work. The document advocates for normalizing paternity leave for men and improving awareness of reproductive rights to foster a more inclusive environment.

• There is a documented 'leaky pipeline' in the mining sector where women tend to exit their careers at an earlier age than men, specifically between 35 and 44 years old, often due to inadequate prenatal and parental policies or lack of childcare support.
• National maternity leave frameworks across the 12 study countries generally provide at least 12 weeks of leave, with 10 of the 12 countries providing 14 weeks or more.
• Publicly available policies from analyzed mining companies typically provide a minimum of 18 weeks of leave, exceeding national requirements in countries like Argentina and Ghana. Some companies, such as BHP and Rio Tinto, implement global minimum standards.
• Workplace culture remains a significant barrier to the effectiveness of parental policies, with women reporting anxiety over disclosing pregnancy and fear that they will not have a job to return to or will be assigned a 'lesser job'.
• The transition back to the workplace is identified as a critical point for retaining women, requiring support mechanisms such as flexible work arrangements, breastfeeding facilities, and childcare provision.
• Normalizing paternity leave for men is essential for women's equal access to employment, yet men often fear that taking leave will negatively impact their career growth or lead to workplace marginalization.

APA

Provencher, M., Strohmayr, S., & Dischinger, B. (2023). Parental Leave Policies in the Mining Sector. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-11/parental-leave-policies-in-the-mining-sector.pdf

Chicago

Provencher, Marion, Sally Strohmayr, and Barbara Dischinger. Parental Leave Policies in the Mining Sector. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-11/parental-leave-policies-in-the-mining-sector.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Provencher |first1=Marion |last2=Strohmayr |first2=Sally |last3=Dischinger |first3=Barbara |title=Parental Leave Policies in the Mining Sector |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=November 2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-11/parental-leave-policies-in-the-mining-sector.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{provencher2023parental, author = {Provencher, Marion and Strohmayr, Sally and Dischinger, Barbara}, title = {{Parental Leave Policies in the Mining Sector}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, month = nov, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-11/parental-leave-policies-in-the-mining-sector.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }