Mining confronts damning record on women

Mining bosses have been told to rebuild trust if they want to have a future workforce.

More than 7500 delegates have gathered at the industry's biggest event since the pandemic to make deals, spruik new gadgets and confront tough issues.

"There's no point saying we're fabulous if we continue to hurt people," Sam Retallack, head of people and culture at mining services firm IGO, said on Friday.

After reports of rapes and assaults, the Western Australian parliamentary inquiry this year found the mining industry failed to protect women from predatory sexual behaviour

The damning inquiry revealed "abhorrent and systemic" sexual harassment against women in mining, where many fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) workers travel to remote worksites for weeks at a time.

"There were stories of sex dolls put in front of women's dongas and sex toys hung on their doors," chair Elizabeth Mettam said in the report, released in June.

"Stories of unsolicited and unwelcome sexual attention, stalking, texting of explicit and lewd material and horrifying stories of sexual assault."

Witnesses also told her about "shovelling" where iron ore would be dumped on the cab of trucks operated by women if they didn't comply with sexual requests.

Separately, mining heavyweight Rio Tinto ran its own inquiry and uncovered a culture of bullying, harassment and racism, including 21 complaints of actual or attempted rape or sexual assault in the past five years.

But it's not an issue that can be pinned on WA, FIFO work arrangements or Australia alone.

"What we're seeing is sadly duplicated elsewhere," John Landmark, vice president at Canadian gold producer Agnico Eagle said.

He said any CEO who disputed that was not asking the right questions.

"Leaders must have a good hard look at their blind spots," he told the International Mining and Resources Conference.

Firms that measure and track behaviour have a better record and the industry's International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) has played an important role in providing the data tools needed for change, delegates heard.

Danielle Martin, a director at industry body ICMM, which brings together a third of the global metals and mining sector, said the rationale for greater participation of women in mining - and diversity more generally - is compelling.

It drives performance, innovation and profits as well as higher corporate social responsibility ratings, Ms Martin said.

Global competition for talent is intense as the skills needed are in demand in other industries, so attracting and retaining workers from all groups and backgrounds is vital.

"As a sector, we're OK at adopting technology and adapting our workforces but we're not as good at prioritising those human-centric skills that we need," she said.

Ms Martin said Rio Tinto's Everyday Respect report, and others over a significant period of time, highlighted real harm and barriers to women and others.

Chair of Women in Mining UK Carole Cable, who started in the industry as a field assistant in Western Australia, said surging demand for metals and minerals to enable the energy transition needs a bigger workforce.

"We also know we've got an ageing workforce and a shrinking talent pool," she said.

A recent report by advisory company BDO found many Generation Z workers don't want a career in mining.

"We have a perception problem," Ms Cable said.