2487106 University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg Academic Development Unit: Introduction to the Engineering Profession - FEBE1000A Wits Student Plagiarism Declaration (G-C-2020-071) *Honour Pledge/ Declaration by Student I (full name & surname) Siyabonga Phungula Student number: 2487106 am a student registered for MINN2022A – Critical Thinking Component in the year 2022. I hereby declare the following: I am aware that plagiarism (the use of someone else’s work without their permission and/or without acknowledging the original source) is wrong. I promise not to consult with anybody else (except for my Lecturer, Tutor & the Wits Writing Centre), including other students or websites offering help. I promise not to provide or receive any unauthorised help on any assessment I confirm that ALL the work (to be) submitted for assessment in the form of MINN2022A Critical Thinking Essay 1 on or before the 19 September 2022 is entirely my own unaided work except where I have explicitly indicated otherwise. I have followed the required conventions in referencing the thoughts and ideas of others. I acknowledge that if I am found to have cheated in any way; plagiarised other people’s work or copied information from the internet and pasted onto my assessment task/s, I will be subject to disciplinary action, which may lead to suspension or expulsion Signature: Date: 17/09/2022 For Online submissions on Ulwazi, typed name and surname are acceptable as signature. Please add your details, save the document as pdf with your SurnameInitials-StudentNumber (eg. BitcoinTJ-0000000 and submit it under the Sesotho Cohort- Honour Pledge submission TAB by the 05 September 2022 @ 13:00. __________________________________________________________________________________ ___ An *honour pledge is a statement students registered at the University of the Witwatersrand sign to show their commitment to act honestly and to maintain academic integrity during the completion of learning tasks for assessment. By completing the honour pledge students make commitment not to cheat, plagiarise or violate copyright material. 1|Page 2487106 Siyabonga Phungula Challenges faced by women,causes of women underrepresentation and ways to adress the challenges including ways of increasing women representation in the mining engineering indsutry The mining industry faces a dilemma in achieving gender equality. Women are frequently at a disadvantage in comparison to their male colleagues in mining enterprises and communities that 2mostly hinders females from progressing through gender stereotypes, corporate policies, and institutions that allow men to have or practice traditional roles and lifestyles over those of women, generally undermines gender equality in the workplace. The office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations describes gender stereotype as, “A generalized opinion or preconception about the traits, qualities, or functions that should or do belong to women and me, respectively.” In environments where gender stereotypes are actively maintained, the most common widespread belief is that high performance necessitates accessibility and flexibility all the time, which disadvantages females because it typically results in men being given opportunities over women, who are presumed to be less capable. Various factors contribute to the underrepresentation of women within the mining industry. Some of the main contributers to this underrepresentation of women in mining are: Legislative Restrictions Laws that restricted women from working in this field (mining) were implemented. For instance, the South African Minerals Act of 1991 placed restrictions on womens’ ability to operate underground in South Africa. Although there were no regulations preventing women from working in mines above ground at that time, there were not many of them there. Such laws became barriers and prevented women from demonstrating how useful a resource they would be to the mining industry. Discriminatory Hiring According to the Equality Act of 2010, the discrimination and selection of workers (either by race, ethnicity or by gender) is illegal. Even though laws such as these were implemented, recruitment discrimination remains an unresolved issue in the mining sector. An approximate 8 to 17 percent of all miners worldwide are women. The mining industry has one of the most stark drops in female executive positions from fresh graduates to those at the top of the industry. 2|Page 2487106 Siyabonga Phungula Patriarchy/Superstition According to Romano and Papastefanaki it is crucial to emphasise in the past women were as active as miners are today. Employer’s policies together with the state played a huge role in bringing about patriarchy in the work space, as it resulted in the domination of male employees through the implementation of protective laws. Women were increasingly de-labourized to a point where they were refrained from participating in any kind of paying labour employment that was available because of the ideology of male being the provider and the fact that mining was labour intensive therefore the work place had to become more masculine. The women were forced to participate in household duties because of protective laws and their exclusion from mines. Women crucial role in providing care in mining towns was also underappreciated thus contributed to their underrepresentation. Women in the mining sector face various challenges from gender inequalities in wages, working conditions, and career advancement in mining jobs (Lozeva and Marinova, 2010). According to Botha (2016), cases of sexual abuse and harassment are still prevalent in this sector. Some of the challenges are discussed below; Discrimination Inequality, unconscious bias (people unconsciously believe mining is not for women), gender pay discrepancies, and glass ceilings are all examples of discrimination. Men in mines are aware that they must be more inclusive, yet they maintain the attitude that “women belong in the kitchen.” Harassment It is impossible to overstate how harassment prevents women from working in mining. Harassment such as assaults, sexism, harassment of women and male ego is extremely common in the mining sector. This includes sexual requirements when a female is searching for work. Simple sexist responses and statements like “you are too attractive; I don’t think you can do this job.’ Yet another is “It’s seen to be a man’s job” these are all kind of concerns that have been brought up by Kilu (2017) as barriers to female. Gender Ideologies The participation of women in mining is still hampered by gender ideology such as cultural norms, societal prejudices, gender stereotypes, and lack of acknowledgement. Mining pation, for instance, in Ghana, It is said that women in their period is “unclean” and comes into contact with the gold will cause the gold to vanish. These have many women from working in mining, particularly given 3|Page 2487106 Siyabonga Phungula that mining is typically carried out in distant locations with strong cultural traditions. It is also believed that clients should consistently disparage female mining consultants, questioning their ability to conduct fieldwork. Gender preconceptions like these restrict the involvement of women in mining. Family Commitment Poor maternity support networks, inconvenient work schedules for childcare, and bad work-life balance are all examples of family commitment. Undoubtedly, women are more committed to their families than men, particularly in emerging nations and in the context of African cultural settings. Companies ought to have guidelines and funding to support maternity leaves for female stakeholders without creating employment losses, promotion, income loss, or other effects. The requirement to take care for family or children is taken into account by scheduling. Once women can work and raise families while maintaining a healthy work-life balance, this will maximize productivity and entice more women to work in the field. Rosters at work do not support gender role of women as home managers. As per the SADC protocol’s article 19 on Equal Access to Employment and Benefits, “all state parties must ensure that women and men have equal access to wage employment, decent work, including social protection , occupational segregation is eradicated along with all forms of discrimination , and prohibit dismissal or denial of recruitment regardless of marital status and gender.” Therefore it is essential to ensure safety, enhance facilities, and provide equipment that is suited to the needs of women if women are to survive and advance over the long term in the mining sectors. Sexist and patriarchal cultures need to be eradicated. Addressing the structural barriers that women face, such as by: ● Passing and implementing laws/acts to advance equivalent opportunities and treatment for females to partake in society’s economic, social, and political life; equal pay for equal work; social security and maternity leave protection; and to stop and protect both men and women from harassment, violence, and discrimination. ● Put an end to factors such as cultural norms, laws and policies that are main perpetuators of gender stereotypes or act as barriers to women who want to be part of the mining industry, encourage harassment of women in the mining sector and gender discrimination. Putting an end to such things is the first step in creating safer work environments for women in mining and more jobs for women in this sector. ● In accordance with the ILO, migrate from the Informal to the Formal Economy Recommendation,2015, policies and measures that safeguard informal workers and 4|Page 2487106 Siyabonga Phungula advance the formalization of sustainable companies can help employees and economic units in ASM transition to the formal economy (No.204). More women and girls than ever are seeking degrees in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.) Women make up 35% of all students enrolled in STEM related fields of study, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO 2017). More education in rivalry with many other sectors, the mining industry is introspecting itself and working on recruiting such talent. Companies that value highly trained people with STEM credentials that can learn new technologies, technology used in automation and digital. There are existing skills shortages in many LMS countries and these gaps are expected to persist in the future. Over time, this is likely to increase the proportion of females in operation within the mining sector. If the mining industry is to succeed, efforts must be made to entice more women and girls to pursue STEM degrees in order to attain a more genuine balance between women and men in all professions. Government and businesses and workers must address the issue of the “leaky pipeline,” specifically that “women quit STEM.” Disproportionate numbers of disciplines during their schooling, when transitioning into the workforce, and even during the course of their career (UNESCO, 2017). There is a demand for change in this regard in the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work,2019, which was released in 2019. Larger overall investment in lifelong learning is urgently needed, especially in developing nations and to link investments in. Business leaders can cast a wider net to include women leaders with strong achievements. The list of occupations includes, but is not limited to, department heads, entrepreneurs, management consultants, non-profit executives, former audit and legal partners, foundation trustees, financial services trustees, and university presidents. These are all sources of information for women officers. As companies move beyond traditional incumbents and former CEOs, they can increase their female representation relatively quickly. Improving legislation, working with WIM associations and working more closely with international partners will help improve the position of women in this sector. However, this action should be coordinated. One of the ways of doing this is by developing a National Action Plan on Gender and Mining, which aims to bring together the above recommendations to empower and protect women in the sector. 5|Page 2487106 Siyabonga Phungula References 1. Dulini Fernando, D Cohen, L & Duberley L, 2018. The Problem of Visibility for Women in Engineering, and How They Manage It. https://hbr.org/2018/10/theproblem-of-visibility-for-women-in-engineering-and-how-they-manage-it [Accessed 15 September 2022]. 2. Jost, J. & Kay, A. (2003) ‘Stereotypes can reinforce the status quo’ http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/ research/ob_sterotypes.shtml [Accessed 15 September 2022]. 3. Kilu, Rufai & Anderson, Eira & Sanda, M.. (2014). Examining Gender Equity Research in Ghanaian Mines: A Meta–Analytical Approach. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288180423_Examining_Gender_Equi ty_Research_in_Ghanaian_Mines_A_Meta-Analytical_Approach [Acessed 15 September 2022] 4. Lozeva, Silvia & Marinova, Dora. (2010). Negotiating Gender: Experience from Western Australian Mining Industry. Journal of Economic and Social Policy. 13. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/49964877_Negotiating_Gender_Expe rience_from_Western_Australian_Mining_Industry [Accessed 15 September 2022] 6|Page 2487106 Siyabonga Phungula 5. Madara, DS., & Cherotich, S. 2016., Challenges Faced by Female-Students in Engineering-Education Journal of Education and Practice, Vol.7, No.25, 2016. https://www.plantengineering.com/articles/women-in-engineering-thechallenges-and-the-barriers/ [Accessed 15 September 2022] 6. Schaefer, A. (2006). “A new approach to increasing diversity in engineering at the example of women in engineering”, European Journal of Engineering Education, 31 (6), 661–671. 7. Starovoytova, D. and Cherotich, S. (2016). “Female Underrepresentation in Undergraduate Education: Case study in School of Engineering”, Research on Humanities and Social Sciences, ISSN 2224-5766 (Paper), ISSN 2225-0484 (Online), Vol.6, No.14, 2016. 7|Page
