Women in mining call for equality

Women in the mining sector want equality to be fast-tracked in the industry. They voiced their concerns at the second Mining and Energy Investment Conference in Kimberley in the Northern Cape. The conference is in partnership with the provincial government, under the theme ‘Realising Northern Cape’s Investment Potential in Mining.’

It seeks to encourage and optimise private sector investment in the province. Women in the sector say there should be more women empowerment in mining.

“Most of the time it is only men and women are few in the mining sector. I would like to get help with my business so I can work and employ the unemployed youth out there,” says small scale miner Alice Mosikare.

Victoria Sehako from the South African Women in Mining says women need to be empowered.

“I also want to see women empowered and having that chance to participate in the mining sector and see them also operating their own mines and create jobs for women because this has been a widely men dominant industry.”

Mining contributed 24.6% to the province’s Gross Domestic Product in 2021 making it the second largest contributor. The MEC of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Abraham Vosloo, says they also encourage job opportunities from deals made with the private sector.

“Our encouragement is for businesspeople from the province to make sure that through the different deals they will be engaging and concluding make sure there are job opportunities,” says the MEC

The conference follows the release of the National GDP figures for the first quarter of 2023, which showed the economy grew by 0.4% and the mining sector contributed 0.9% year-on-year.

Attendees here were encouraged to engage each other and conclude deals. The Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe has invited investors to build mines.

“We are mainly talking to the investors to say, please move quickly, invest and build mines and that people participate in the economy. You cannot see a situation where you develop in the Northern Cape and not benefit the Western Cape. The export point at this point is in Saldanha, so there is a linkage between them.”

Mantashe says the investment in mines will help locals to participate in the economy: 
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With renewable energy projects growing rapidly, there’s hope this will create job opportunities and make a dent in the unemployment rate. Report by Karabo Seyoko