January 30th, 2015
In March 2015, IM4DC will host a forum on Gender and Mining for 30 African participants. The one-day forum forms part of a larger study tour organised by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) through the Australia-Africa Partnerships Facility (AAPF).
The forum will explore gender equality and workforce diversity, gender and the social impact of mining, and women’s empowerment.
IM4DC has worked with AAPF on two previous Gender and Mining study tours in 2012 and 2013. Feedback from both the study tours was extremely positive, including informal feedback that indicated that participants undertook activities in their home countries reflecting lessons learned during the study tours. This third Gender and Mining study tour will build on the success of the previous study tours.
The objectives of the Gender and Mining study tour are to:
- Introduce the basic governance and operational structures of the mining sector in Australia
- Examine the ways in which men and women are directly engaged and employed in the mining sector and identify policies and approaches for improved recruitment, retention and leadership of women in the sector
- Explore the gendered impacts of mining and identify best practices to promote the equitable distribution of the costs and benefits of mining.
During the study tour, participants will be exposed to both theoretical discussions and hands-on field trips, where they will have the opportunity to meet with women’s groups, private sector companies and community groups, visit large-scale mining operations, and interact with relevant local and state government departments.