Stopp violence against women in the mining sector!
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- Published: Saturday, 23 April 2022 09:57
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On April 21, 2022, IndustriALL, the international industrial union, will present its study on „gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH)" from the mining sector. Individual and group interviews were conducted with 21 women and two male leaders from IndustriALL affiliates in South Africa (NUM and NUMSA), Colombia (Sintracarbon) and Canada (Unifor and USW).
Sexual harassment and sexual violence are common in the mining sector. The women interviewed spoke about seclusion and relative isolation at the mines. This makes women more vulnerable to violence. Sexual harassment and sexual assault are a major problem for women. Women are also often passed over for promotions, their skills are undervalued, and their earnings are lower than those of men. Complaining makes it harder for women because they often work and live in the same communities as men, their colleagues, their superiors. Union structures and leadership reflect the low percentage of women in mining jobs. Thus, the lack of or failure to implement policies to address gender inequalities perpetuates the male-dominated culture in the workplace. „[Male colleagues and fellow union members] question your dignity, attack you for lacking family values, and try to undermine your credibility and reputation," said Hidanora Pérez of Sintracarbon.
In collective bargaining and negotiations for working conditions, „...it should be women who are at the negotiating table to discuss motherhood and gender-based violence, because otherwise the issue is not addressed," said Mathapelo Khanye, union president, national secretary for women at the NUM.
Domestic violence is also cited as a major problem by women in the mining sector. They are calling for a domestic violence policy for every workplace, with paid leave and other support for survivors. „If someone experiences domestic violence and talks about it, we offer them support. It's so horrible to see them go through so much and we can't help them because they can't open up.... We still have a lot to do," said a female union representative from South Africa.
The women interviewed are calling for:
Training to raise awareness against gender-based violence and harassment; the need for men to take more responsibility to end gender-based violence and harassment;
The need to create workplaces based on respect and equality;
The effective integration of gender-based violence and harassment into workplace health and safety; and
The implementation of risk assessment and safety mapping tools for prevention.