In celebration of Women’s Month, Voorspoed Mine in Kroonstad in collaboration with Fanyane Shabalala Foundation took a call to action and organised a “Take a Girl Child to Workday” initiative.
This event at end August was to empower and inspire young girls from Moqhaka Municipality local schools Matlwangtlwang Secondary and Steynsrus High School.
The program aimed to expose young girls to a diverse career option within the mining industry and beyond, offering them insights into a traditionally male-dominated industry.
“When it comes to the mining industry, such initiatives become crucial as they provide young girls with an experience to witness firsthand the opportunities available within this sector.
“We hope this does not only encourage gender equality, but also to break stereotypes and show these girls that they can achieve anything they set their minds on,” says PJ Jordaan, Voorspoed Mine Closure Manager.
Lebogang Mphaka, Corporate Affairs Manager at the mine emphasized that they provided the girls with hands-on experiences, presentations from successful female employees who have excelled in their roles over the years and engaged them in activities that showcased different aspects of our closure operations.
Victoria Ziegler of Technical and Sustainability was one of De Beers Group’s female professionals who gave an inspiring talk to the girls and highlighted that the mining industry offers a wide variety of careers.
“These days it’s not just about Geology or Engineering there’s a need for data scientists, renewable energy experts and a whole host of other specialist fields.
“We shared some useful materials on the different career choices they could make, some options on where to study after school, plus how and where to apply for bursaries.”
“The Take a Girl Child to Workday at the mine is to eradicate stereotypes surrounding gender-specific occupations, especially in our communities.
“By exposing our girls to successful women working in various capacities within the industry – whether engineers, geologists, environmentalists, or managers – these young girls can envision themselves pursuing similar paths without any societal limitations.
“It ignites their passion and ambition while empowering them to challenge societal norms and creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce while inspiring future generations of women in mining, essentially in Women’s Month,” says Fanyane Shabalala from the foundation.
