Rio Tinto, Newmont take extra steps to promote gender equality in mining

Rio Tinto, Newmont, New Gold, SRK Consulting and Centerra Gold are taking additional steps towards promoting gender equality in the mining sector by joining forces with global non-profit organization International Women in Mining. The mining giants joined the 2021 International Women in Resources Mentoring Programme (IWRMP), which is aimed at empowering women in the mining sector by providing mentees with opportunities to accelerate their all-round professional growth. According to Barbara Dischinger, IWRMP program director, the four-year-old initiative has been equally beneficial to both mentees and mentors because it fosters a ‘reverse mentoring’ attitude that gives senior industry figures, both male and female, an opportunity to further hone their leadership skills. “What makes IWMRP unique is its combination of global reach and intersectionality, which enables mentees to benefit from contact with mentors and fellow mentees that may not otherwise have been possible,” Dischinger said in a media statement. “The programme is designed to meet the needs of the highly globalised mining sector, both now and into the future.” Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 program will follow the same online format in which it was offered in 2020. This story first appeared on www.mining.com.