At MMG’s Kinsevere mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) women represent 10% of the total workforce.

Labour legislation in the country had, until recently, prohibited women from working at night and in turn limited their potential earnings and impacted their career progression.

The Kinsevere human resources and the mine management teams worked together to address the issue and to improve access to opportunities for female employees.

The first step the team undertook was to engage with the female employees in order to understand their needs and concerns. They then extended their engagement to external parties by meeting with the Minister for Labour, the Governor of Katanga, labour inspectors and trade unions in order to raise their concerns regarding the existing legislation.

This proactive approach led to a modification in the legislation in 2016 with women in the DRC now allowed to work night shifts (Law 16/110 15 July 2016).

For Kinsevere’s female employees this has meant that they can now apply for any role – including those in operations which have a 24 hour roster (12 hour shifts). This also opens future opportunities for those who are interested in pursuing shift supervisor positions.

This change demonstrates MMG’s broader commitment to diversity and inclusion as well as striving for progress beyond the mine.

The team’s focus in now on ensuring that the change is sustainable by offering female employees further training and exposure to mining roles in order to prepare them for any future opportunities.

Pictured: Sylvie Kayind, one of the six female Kinsevere Mine Technicians who are now able to work night shifts at the mine.