Women in Mining Australia: Celebrating Female Participation in 2025
- MPi News
This International Women’s Day, we celebrate women in mining across Australia, from growing female participation rates to inspiring leaders driving change in 2025
To mark International Women’s Day 2025, we wanted to celebrate the role of women in Australian mining: The engineers, geologists, operators, and leaders reshaping our industry.
How Far We’ve Come: Female Participation in Australian Mining in 2025
According to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), female participation in our industry currently sits around 22% of Australia’s mining workforce.
Analysts at AWIMAR (Australian Women In Mining And Resources) cite that women are still vastly underrepresented in the minerals industry with only 11% of females in CEO roles in their 2025 report.
These numbers are hardly surprising when, until 1986 in WA, mining companies could be fined heavily for allowing women to work underground.
AusIMM’s last Women in Mining Survey 2021 put women’s participation in FIFO and DIDO roles at upwards of 19%. (The proportion of FIFO and DIDO workers in the mining sector is estimated at between 15% and 20% of the total mining workforce.)
Encouraging Female Leadership in Mining
Mining is, undoubtedly, still a male-dominated industry.
But work is being done to encourage more women into the industry, and to advance opportunities for women. Across Australia, programs like WIMARQ, AusIMM Women in Mining Network, and Women in Mining WA are helping more women take up technical and leadership roles.
The Queensland Resources Council has reaffirmed its goal of 30% female workforce participation by 2026, highlighting a growing industry-wide commitment to diversity.
The Organisations Driving Gender Diversity in Mining
All over the world, groups like WIMARQ continue to support and encourage women in mining.
In Australia, there's even an online community called Indigenous Women in Mining and Resources Australia (IWIMRA), which allows women with First Nations backgrounds working in the mining industry to connect with each other and “identify gaps for career progression and opportunities to improve for Indigenous women."
Mining Companies Making Progress on Gender Balance
Many major miners are setting measurable gender goals. BHP, for example, is on track to achieve its goal of gender balance by the end of 2025, with women now comprising more than a third of its global workforce
Hancock Prospecting’s Gina Rinehart continues to support women who want to enter the mining sector.
Speaking with Australia’s Mining Monthly about the challenges facing women and men in mining in 2025, she said, “Work hard, be responsible, find out what skills are needed and develop those needed skills.”
She continued, “Just show you can contribute and are willing to do so, and let your work and attitude speak for itself.”
Celebrating International Women’s Day in the Mining Industry
International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate progress and spotlight the inspiring women driving the industry forward.
This year, organisations like AusIMM and Women in Mining WA are hosting events across Australia to share stories, mentorship opportunities, and ideas for the next generation of women in mining.
Explore AusIMM’s Celebrating Women in Mining series for more inspiring stories.
If you’re a woman looking to start or grow your mining career, register with MPI Recruitment today to be first in line for new opportunities across Australia.
With more than 30 years' experience in Australia's mining industry, you're in good hands.
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