The Mining Sector Embraces Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion
08.03.24
On the occasion of International Women's Day, RawMatHub, the information hub for the value chain of extracted raw materials in Greece, features interviews with four of our employees. This tribute highlights that the fundamental elements for the empowerment and sustainability of the mining industry are professionalism, innovation, and passion for the job.
Question: The Mineral Raw Materials (MRM) sector is a highly demanding field that balances, over time—and perhaps paradoxically—between its necessity as an essential supporter of modern technologies and traditional management and operational structures. How did you decide to engage in this sector?
Dimitra Zafeirouda
“Engaging with the sector was not just a continuation of the family tradition but also a conscious choice.”
The mining sector indeed presents a unique balance, combining its essential contribution to modern technologies with structures that maintain a strongly traditional and often stereotypical character. My decision to engage in this field stems primarily from the fact that my area has a long mining history, with the majority of residents involved in mining activities, including members of my family, as both my father and grandfather worked in the local mines.
I am the third generation continuing this family tradition, a legacy that significantly influenced my choice of academic and subsequent professional direction. However, engaging with the sector was not just a continuation of the family tradition but also a conscious choice. My father, being a worker in the sector himself, inspired me with a love and interest in minerals, mining methods, and their subsequent utilization.
Furthermore, I feel particularly fortunate that my job allows me to stay in my hometown without any compromise in my quality of life. Often, young people have to move to urban centers to pursue career opportunities in their field of study. In my case, my academic choice, combined with the presence of one of the country's leading mining companies in our area, allows me personal and professional development while staying in my birthplace.
Question: Tell us about your experience as a professional in the MRM field. What do you recognize as the biggest challenge you have faced so far in your work environment?
Kalliopi Kokkali
“To prove my worth, I observed everything: the quarry world, the construction machinery, and even the mountain daily. I made decisions, made mistakes, but in the end, I learned and continuously improved.”
As a young engineer, I worked as a Supervising Engineer and Safety Technician in one of the largest quarries in the country. The biggest challenge I faced was feeling that I had to prove I deserved this position in a male-dominated and harsh environment (direct exposure to weather conditions) and to be accepted by the workers.
To achieve this, I remember observing the quarry world, the construction machinery, and even the mountain daily. I made decisions, made mistakes, but in the end, I learned and continuously improved. Trust did not take long to build, though it did not mean I did not have unpleasant experiences regarding stereotypical gender discrimination.
Working at the quarry was a tough but valuable experience. My approach was never to take comments personally. I focused on my work, methodically proving my worth and abilities. The positive aspect today is that the situation in the country has started to change, and companies are increasingly investing in diversity, equality, and inclusion, giving women the opportunity to assert their equal place in the sector. I believe the sector can only benefit if it continues in this direction, leveraging the multitude of possibilities women offer in a mining company.
Question: Work-Life balance: With what "raw materials" do you think this goal can be achieved for a female professional in the MRM field?
Sophia Asproudi
The desire to achieve the perfect balance between professional and personal life often becomes a life goal. To achieve this balance, I believe the following "raw materials" are needed from a female professional in the MRM field: determination, organization, and, of course, a continuous interest in development in this specific work environment.
My professional career started with several difficulties, so my primary goal was always to work in an environment that would offer me a sense of security, allowing me to make long-term plans without the stress of uncertainty about the future, both professionally and personally. The ability to work in a mine in Greece, in a work environment that is still considered male-dominated in our country, and the opportunity to stay in one area for a considerable time were significant criteria for choosing to work at Hellas Gold.
Additionally, an equally important factor for me was that the company's culture promotes equal opportunities between men and women and allows women's advancement to positions of responsibility. It also positively influenced me that the company does not make starting a family prohibitive, as happens in many other workplaces, but rather encourages and supports it.
Anastasia Xenidi
Achieving a balance between work and personal life is a crucial issue, especially for female professionals in demanding sectors like the MRM field. Willpower, planning, and setting priorities are what I would describe as the "raw materials" towards this direction.
However, to achieve these, I consider stability to be particularly important. Having grown up in an environment of relocation and having moved as an adult for work reasons, I feel grateful to have the opportunity through my current work environment, which promotes and supports gender equality and diversity, to organize my daily life more easily and in a way that allows for more long-term planning.
Question: In recent years, there has been an effort to increase the sector's outreach to achieve more meaningful communication with society, which is now more aware of issues concerning the sector. In this context, the staffing of the sector in positions of responsibility is gradually starting to include women. How close or far do you think we are to the equal participation of female professionals in this field?
Anastasia Xenidi & Sophia Asproudi
“We observe a gradual increase in female presence in positions of responsibility, an optimistic fact that indicates a shift towards equality.”
It is true that the MRM sector has made strides toward outreach and more meaningful communication with society. The increased awareness of issues related to the sector, such as sustainable development and environmental protection, has brought to the forefront the need for substantial dialogue with the public.
In this context, we observe a gradual increase in female presence in positions of responsibility, an optimistic fact that indicates a shift towards equality. However, the path to the full equal participation of women in the sector remains long and still requires strong and coordinated efforts.
