With the lack of women in mining, the gender gap in the profession is unlikely to close any time soon.   

Females account for only 12% of the global mining workforce, according to a World Economic Forum study published in 2021. In addition, the mining sector currently ranks second for the least female-inclusive workforce globally. As the mining industry faces significant labour shortages, companies urgently need to attract women, but what is the current status as found by Mining Journal Intelligence in the inaugural ESG Mining Company Index.  

The ESG Mining Company Index found that 61 of some of the largest mining companies, with a combined market cap of $1.2 trillion, had an average of 31% female participation on the board. This percentage is 8% higher than the global average, where it was found women only hold 23% of the world's board seats. 

However, the data suggest that the average proportion of female employees remains low, at 17.4% in 2023. However, there has been a sluggish increase across the past three years. 

Women gaining more mining company boardroom positions  

The ESG Mining Company Index showed the picture to be more encouraging at boardroom level  

Nine out of the 61 companies achieved an increase of 20% or more of their female representation on the board, and a further 5 out of the 61 companies achieved an increase of over 50% from 2021 in their female representation on the board.   

However, due to a small number of board seats, a significant boost in female representation is far more achievable than at company wide level where thousands and thousands of new female employees are required to make meaningful changes in the number of female miners.  

BHP employs most women in mining   

BHP scored highest for diversity, with a 40% female board and a 36% female workforce in 2023. The company's female workforce exceeded the average across the ESG Mining Company Index by 19%. To see the full list of companies with the highest proportion of women in mining, get the report here.  

BHP credits its female diversity improvement through rigorous monitoring and goal setting. In 2016, BHP recognised a gender imbalance across the entire organisation. To boost female participation, the company implemented goals to achieve balance by 2025. In its 2023 annual report, BHP expressed confidence in meeting this goal. Data from the past three years, and the ESG Mining Company Index points to the likelihood of BHP achieving this target.  

Even fewer women studying mining 

Last year, Mining Journal found that while enrolments in mining degrees are in long-term decline, young women appear to be shying away from the industry in even greater numbers than their male counterparts. 

The proportion of female graduates from mining engineering courses at US and Canadian universities fluctuated between 13% and 21% per year from 2011 to 2019 before hitting 11%, the lowest in at least a decade, in 2020. 

More about the ESG Mining Company Index   

The inaugural ESG Mining Company Index  covers more than 7000 data points, evaluates 61 of the world's largest mining companies through nine weighted indicators across six critical pillars: Carbon emissions, Water, Land disturbance, Safety, Diversity and Social investment.  

To access the full report today click here. To watch a recording of a webinar launching the report click here.