IMII welcomes the release of the Gender Equity in Mining Works (GEM Works) case studies report on Saskatchewan by the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR).
IMII partnered with MiHR to bring its GEM Works program to the Saskatchewan minerals sector. This is one of seven projects funded by IMII under our $1 million Diversity & Inclusion Challenge Program and aimed at incentivizing innovative approaches to increase the number of women enjoying successful careers in the minerals industry in our province.
MiHR’s inclusion and diversity subject matter experts and practitioners supported a 10-member Gender Champion Taskforce of leaders working in Saskatchewan’s mining industry including two of IMII’s member companies, Mosaic and Nutrien, and representatives of mining supply chain companies. This GEM Works cohort received training and support in applying proven tools to identify and mitigate systemic barriers in current organizational policies, processes and procedures.
This project was undertaken in response to two specific challenges identified in 2018 by IMII:
- Enhancing workplace cultures in supply chain companies;
- Encouraging alternate career choices and success for women in trade, production and technical occupations in the minerals sector.
The case studies report showcases six specific examples of how GEM Works was adopted to review current practices and ultimately eliminate gender biases discovered in policies, processes and procedures in several Saskatchewan minerals producers and suppliers. “Women are underrepresented in Canada’s minerals and metals sector, despite significant efforts to increase their participation and address barriers to gender equity and inclusion,” says Al Shpyth, IMII’s Executive Director.
“Saskatchewan was the first jurisdiction in Canada to approach the challenge of increasing women’s participation in the mining industry in a collaborative manner, dedicating time and resources to help eliminate systemic barriers, as validated in the case studies report.”
Read the full case studies report here.
