INNOVATION March-April 2017

What Women—and Men—Can Do Equality, says Hughes, is giving everyone the same opportunity, but equity means tailoring those opportunities with a focus on fair outcomes. Men and women need to address the imbalance together, especially as many of the initiatives will benefit everyone, not just women. Flexible workplaces, for example, allow both men and women to balance work and home responsibilities. Just as the safety culture in mining has evolved, diversity is a mindset change that needs to spread across the industry. “We can use elements of the health and safety campaigns and similar tactics in this discussion around diversity,” says Hughes. The successes of health and safety campaigns in the industry can guide discussions about gender balance. A growing number of initiatives are tackling the target areas identified in the Mining Industry Human Resources Council report, including transforming workplace culture, overcoming barriers in career pathways, eliminating exit points where women are often lost from the industry, and sharing best practices that are working at mining workplaces. Creating Choices Leading the charge for women inside her organization and out is Anna Tudela, vice-president of Diversity, Regulatory Affairs and corporate secretary at BC-based Goldcorp. In 2010, Tudela built Creating Choices, a voluntary training, development, and mentoring program tailored to women working at the company. The program—offered in English, Spanish and French—has since graduated 1,300 women from eight countries, and a second program, called Growing Choices, has graduated 350 women since it began in 2015. “Creating Choices is given by local employees whom we have trained as facilitators,” says Tudela, who customized an existing program for Goldcorp during a three-day brainstorming session in 2010. “The program can be delivered onsite by our own women, with our own examples, language, customs and culture. It provides participants with the tools and skills needed to develop themselves to their fullest potential, professionally and personally.” Imola Gotz, P.Eng., is a mining engineer with 13 years at Goldcorp who participated in the Creating Choices pilot in 2010. She studied mine engineering at Romania’s Petrosani Mining University, where the number of females in her engineering course was capped at 25 percent. Since moving to Canada, she has taken an active role in recruiting women to engineering and mining, and now works as a course facilitator. “Everybody benefits,” she says. “Creating Choices is an excellent platform to share success stories. It’s important to share positive experiences, and build confidence, especially for women in Latin America and Mexico.” Tudela has been vocal on the topic of women in mining. With the full support of Goldcorp senior management, she is invited to speak at events all over Canada and encourages other companies to set up similar programs.

A bove : Goldcorp managers and Creating Choices graduates at the Peñasquito Mine in Mexico stand beside STOPITA. The pink haul truck is dedicated to the hardworking women at Goldcorp who are supported by the Creating Choices program ( P hoto : G oldcorp ). Female role models and mentors help encourage women to choose and stay in mining careers. B elow : Mary Brearley, processing operations technician at New Gold's New Afton Mine, also mentors younger workers.

A GEM of an Idea Outspoken senior leaders, like Tudela, who can articulate the business case for gender equity in mining, who “walk the talk” with concrete actions within their own organizations, and who are highly visible throughout the industry, are vital to creating gender equity in mining. “It’s very difficult to make any substantial change without having a senior leader who supports and advocates for that change,” Hughes says.

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