International Women in Mining (IWiM)

International Women in Mining (IWiM) is a leading global not-for-profit organisation pursuing gender equity and promoting women’s voices, access to opportunities and leadership in mining.

Founded in 2007, IWiM is a not-for-profit organisation and is registered as a community interest company (CIC) and subject to the oversight of our Board of Directors and the CIC Regulator. IWiM operates with the support of valued sponsors and partners and a global team of Directors and volunteers who are active across all functions of the mining industry.

 

IWiM’s aim is to lead global change towards gender equality in mining by acting as:

Industry Change Agent, making mining a more representative and inclusive industry via global initiatives and programmes which fill a current gap;

WIM Champion, supporting women in mining (WIM) organisations on all continents in their growth path and empowering them to achieve global cohesion and leverage their game-changing collective strength, as well as celebrating the achievements and contribution of individual women in mining worldwide; and

Diversity Trend Setter, participating in research projects, peer reviews, policy and advocacy, international working groups on gender and curating a Gender and Mining library to enhance the knowledge around women’s contributions in the mining sector.

 

IWiM connects with over 15,000 followers worldwide and collaborates with over 70 WIM organisations on all continents. IWiM also cultivates an international network of leading companies, organisations and individuals sharing a vision for the mining sector and aiming to inspire both men and women to become advocates, change-makers and leaders in their businesses, communities and countries.

 

Our Vision

A global change of mindset to achieve gender equality in mining

Our Mission

To lead global change in the industry towards real diversity, equity and inclusion; to support WIM organisations and to promote a strong, unified WIM voice.

Our Values

As a not-for-profit organisation, our initiatives and engagement are driven by our commitment to women in mining and fuelled by our core values of respect, inclusivity, integrity, collaboration, accountability and effectiveness.

Respect and Inclusivity

Championing diversity is integral to IWiM’s vision, mission and organisation. We believe in learning from each other and recognising the value of each individual. We are committed to treating every person with due regard for their rights, dignity and well-being.

Accountability and Effectiveness

We work with transparency, make responsible use of our resources and practice fairness in all our relationships. We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards and strive to deliver concrete, positive change for women in mining.

Collaboration

We work with others in a spirit of mutuality and solidarity, celebrate diversity and respect others’ choices in the pursuit of common goals for an equitable world free of the systems that currently marginalise women.

Integrity

We act with honesty and keep our promises. We are guided by ethical and moral principles in all that we do. 

Our History

IWiM was founded as WIM Community Portal in 2007 by Barbara Dischinger to provide a communication platform for WIM organisations and serve women in the global mining sector, particularly where there were no WIM organisations.

In parallel, Barbara Dischinger founded Women in Mining (UK) in 2006 and managed it until 2011 when a new management team transitioned in; the two organisations have always been distinct.

When IWiM was founded, there were fewer WIM organisations and the conversation about diversity and inclusion in mining was only just beginning. Since its inception, IWiM has worked to promote a strong, unified WIM voice and increase support to and among WIM organisations world-wide.

IWiM has also helped to define and advance the gender equality and diversity agenda in the mining sector, coordinating initiatives with global businesses and investors and collaborating with international organisations pursuing similar transformational objectives.

These have included research projects, webinar programmes and campaigns to increase awareness and promote the role and participation of women. With a stronger corporate structure, a new Board of Directors and ongoing sponsor support, from 2017 IWiM developed landmark programmes including IWRMP, a global cross-company mentoring programme for women in mining.

In 2017 the company adopted its current name and converted into a community interest company (CIC). As a CIC, IWiM has primarily social objectives and any surpluses are reinvested in these objectives or in the community.