Barrick Beyond Borders - May 2012 - Barrick Gold Corporation

A BARRICK GOLD REPORT ON RESPONSIBLE MINING | BEYOND BORDERSTOP: A NEW HAUL TRUCK DRIVER BEING TRAINED AT KCGM. TOP RIGHT: JULIESHUTTLEWORTH WITH SUMMER STUDENT, ZOE SOUTHWELL. RIGHT: TWO OFTHE 800 ATTENDEES AT THIS YEAR’S “WOMEN IN MINING CANADA” RECEPTIONAT THE PROSPECTORS & DEVELOPERS ASSOCIATION CONVENTION IN TORONTO.and both genders are encouraged to apply in all job categories.Furthermore, men and women are compensated equally for doingthe same job, with experience and length of service being the onlyvariants.“A lot of companies, ourselves included, are looking at ways toimprove the workplace and make it more appealing to women,”says Darian Rich, Barrick’s Vice President of Human Resources.“We are seeing a number of progressive strategies implementedat our sites, including flexible work practices, and we are workingwith educational institutions to raise the industry’s profile andattract more women into mining careers.”KCGM’s Beck, who has two young daughters, says she madeit clear when she joined the company that family comes first. “Iindicated up front that, on some mornings, I might have to get thechildren to school, and it has never been an issue,” she says.In fact, Beck, 37, says her boss insists she attend her children’sschool assemblies, noting wryly that she “hates school assemblies.”Still, she says she appreciates the support, as well as thehard-won advice shared with her by several male co-workers duringher career. “Some of the men that I have worked with sawtheir families split apart because they were hardly ever home,” shesays. “They told me that ‘Your family is everything, do not screwit up the way we did.’ ”Shuttleworth, 38, says women shouldn’t feel extra pressure toprove themselves, or change their personalities to try and fit in.“The message I try to give is that you don’t have to change,” shesays. “You can still be the person that you are without having toturn into a rough and tough miner. Don’t start swearing and carryingon if that’s not who you are.”While men need to treat their female co-workers with respect,Beck says she doesn’t want to be singled out for special treatment.For instance, during meetings, when Beck is sometimes the onlywoman in the room, male colleagues will occasionally utter a profanityand then apologize to her. “That probably bugs me morethan anything,” she says. “If you’re going to swear, swear – justdon’t single me out as the only one in the room who may takeoffense.”All three women acknowledge encountering discriminatoryattitudes at times during their careers, though for the most part,they say they have been treated as equals. Their advice to womenwho face resistance is to keep a thick skin, do a good job, stay confidentand don’t let anyone keep them from their goals. “Yes, ofcourse, there are people who don’t believe women belong in mining,”Beck says. “People are entitled to their personal views, as longas they’re respectful and civil, and don’t let their personal beliefshave a negative influence in the workplace. As time goes by, peoplewho weren’t sure about me usually see I can do the job just as wellas anybody else.”Robinson, 50, came to mining after working as a nurse. A motherof five, she says that when she was in high school, mining wasn’tconsidered a potential career for women. “It was not somethingthat was offered to us,” she says. “Mining companies didn’t cometo our school on career days. KCGM does a lot of school visits nowand tries to explain to young women that there are a lot of opportunitiesin mining, which is something they may not realize.”Shuttleworth regularly visits high schools and universities, andspeaks publicly about the opportunities in mining for women andmen. One of the things she tells people is that mining is an exciting,challenging and interesting industry to work in with manycareer options.At the recent Prospectors & Developers Association conventionin Toronto, more than 800 people attended a reception heldby Women in Mining Canada. That’s up from 650 last year, Lucassays, noting that more men attended this year’s reception. “I thinkthat’s indicative of a growing acceptance of women in mining,”she says. ■42May 2012