WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED AS A WOMAN IN THE MINING INDUSTRY ?
SPECIAL FEATURE
60
WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED AS A WOMAN IN THE MINING INDUSTRY ?
Liezl Van Wyk : “ I ’ ve worked in the power , construction , shipping and mining sectors ; there are many similarities between these capital-intensive outdoor industries featuring large scale equipment and still with a primarily male workforce . My upbringing and interests , combined with my technical acumen , made entering these industries natural for me . From my perspective it was more an intellectual challenge than anything else . I did encounter that one had to pay a lot more attention to personal safety and conduct , which are good life skills . There is a lot more awareness around women and their place in the mining workplace . Alignment of company values and greater diversity of the workforce have reduced the challenges of earlier days .
“ I experienced that males in these industries can feel uncomfortable with women in their workplaces , taking on non-conventional roles . My approach has always been that if people are
SUMMER / AUTUMN 2020