BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance has developed a number of programs to accommodate women, including a Diversity Project which has established a network of women across BMA to promote open communication lines and forums for mentoring.

BMA sites also offer flexible working arrangements such as flexible start and finish times, part-time work when returning from maternity leave, and job-share arrangements.

Anglo Coal has a Women’s Reference Group that is widely recognised as a significant forum for addressing women’s issues in the company. Human resources staff members are focal points for the group and are available for consultation or discussions regarding all issues affecting females in the workplace.

Anglo Coal’s Moranbah North Management also implemented a “women in non-traditional roles” initiative which involved a study in which a female employee was engaged for six months in a non-traditional role and then another six months developing an induction program for new entrants to the industry based on her experiences.

The difficulties she identified for women working underground included physical requirements, long shifts, lack of appropriate facilities for female hygiene needs, and lack of networking opportunities with other women.

Her review of site-specific induction processes has proved valuable to the company. All new employees are required to attend these inductions, which now include a half-hour session on equal opportunity, discrimination, harassment and bullying, and employees’ rights and responsibilities in the workplace, whatever their position within the business.

Roche Mining has a female senior consultant who is the founder of the West Australian Women in Mining group, which has 500 members.

The company aims to promote and develop plans to ensure more women are aware of opportunities for employment in the mining industry by initially attending the monthly meetings for guidance.

Roche also sponsored the first Women in Mining and Resources Queensland (WIMARQ) networking session, which aims to provide a positive networking environment with inspiring speakers to bring women together from a broad spectrum of resources fields.

Rio Tinto’s Coal and Allied has introduced a “positive discrimination” trial for female operators to attract women into “non-traditional” roles at its Bengalla Mine in New South Wales.

A number of women were recruited into the positions, and the company says it was a positive step forward in encouraging women in the local area into non-traditional roles.

The operation also has open days, site tours and school visits involving female operator role models.

They also use female graduate employees to promote female participation in non-traditional roles within Newcastle University.

A similar recruitment strategy to encourage local women into non-traditional roles was used successfully at Rio Tinto Coal Australia’s Hail Creek mine in Queensland.

Thiess has undergone a review of formal training courses offered to employees to identify courses that provide positive career opportunities for women.

The company also monitors remuneration rates for women and men by reviewing data both externally and across the business, which ensures equitable pay and allowances as roles are based on non-gender specific criteria.