WOMEN AND THE MINE OF THE FUTURE

The report examines the status of women in the Australian large-scale mining sector from 2010/11 to 2020/21. It finds that while women's participation is increasing, the sector remains heavily male-dominated, with significant gender gaps in technical roles, pay, and leadership. Women are over-represented in clerical roles and part-time employment, and they face barriers such as the remoteness of mine sites and a lack of support for care responsibilities. The study highlights a significant gender pay gap and the underutilisation of STEM-qualified women. It recommends organisational policy reforms, targeted capacity building in mining technology, and improved gender-disaggregated data collection to foster a more inclusive industry.

• The Australian mining sector is heavily male-dominated, with women accounting for only 18% of the workforce in 2020/21, ranking it as the second lowest sector for female employment in the economy.
• Gender disparity varies by commodity; coal mining has the lowest average female share at 12% over 11 years, while metal ore mining reached 20% in 2020/21.
• Women are disproportionately represented in part-time roles and clerical positions, while men dominate technical and leadership roles.
• Women with STEM qualifications are underutilised in the mining sector, often working in roles that do not match their educational level due to barriers like remote site conditions and gender discrimination.
• The remoteness of mine sites acts as a barrier to female employment, leading to higher female concentrations in major urban areas like Melbourne and Perth where headquarters are located.
• Indigenous women show higher participation rates in mining employment (24%) and apprenticeship/traineeships (34%) than non-Indigenous women, attributed to targeted government and industry initiatives.
• Female participation in apprenticeships and traineeships saw a spike in 2020 (24%) and early 2021 (32%), likely due to COVID-19 reskilling needs and the adoption of virtual training delivery.
• Women experience higher rates of underemployment compared to men, and a higher proportion of women have left their last mining job than men in eight of the last 11 years.

APA

Weldegiorgis, F. (2022). WOMEN AND THE MINE OF THE FUTURE. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-04/women-mine-of-the-future-australia.pdf

Chicago

Weldegiorgis, Fitsum. WOMEN AND THE MINE OF THE FUTURE. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2022. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-04/women-mine-of-the-future-australia.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Weldegiorgis |first1=Fitsum |title=WOMEN AND THE MINE OF THE FUTURE |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=March 2022 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-04/women-mine-of-the-future-australia.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{weldegiorgis2022women, author = {Weldegiorgis, Fitsum}, title = {{WOMEN AND THE MINE OF THE FUTURE}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2022}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-04/women-mine-of-the-future-australia.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }