Bogotá, October 22, 2021
Drummond Ltd. is committed to closing gender gaps in the mining sector, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 5, which calls for an end to all forms of discrimination against women and girls. Because it has been proven that equality makes a direct contribution to economic growth and the integral development of society. In addition, to establishing corporate policies to prevent discrimination, participates in assessments to determine progress made and chart a path for overcoming challenges.
“At Drummond we attract and hire people with high professional and ethical standards, ensuring that their skills, knowledge, abilities and conduct are line with our corporate principles and values. We believe that a person’s gender is not an indicator of talent or competence,” stated Jose Miguel Linares, company president.
That is why the company participates in evaluations, so it can identify opportunities for improvement and continue to narrow gaps. For example, this year it took part in the PAR Ranking, and in 2020 it used the UN’s WEPs gender gap analysis tool to run a self-diagnosis.
The preliminary result of that test was 34%, putting Drummond at an intermediate level. The score demonstrates that Drummond as a company recognizes the importance of gender equity, though there is always, of course, room to continue improving our performance. The company also conducted a perception survey with the participation of employees and communities. Seventy-seven percent of those surveyed said Drummond Ltd. guarantees non-discrimination in hiring, and 94% indicated that men and women who do the same work at Drummond earn the same wages.
Opportunities for Everyone
Drummond implements the Bettercoal Code, an independent initiative to promote responsible and sustainable practices in the global coal supply chain. The Code includes integrating gender considerations into the assessment of environmental, social, and human rights risks. This ensures that the rights and interests of women are respected in accordance with international standards; and guaranteeing that onsite safety measures are sensitive to gender and not intrusive.
“Drummond takes specific actions to promote gender equity in the organization,” explains Juan Pablo Arteaga, Drummond’s Vice President of Sustainability, describing some of the most important ones:
- Implementation of a Human Rights Policy that promotes non-discrimination and equal opportunities.
- A gender diversity focus for hiring policies and processes.
- Work policies that guarantee an environment free from violence, sexual harassment, and exploitation in the operations.
- Invitations to job hiring processes that are inclusive, to attract skilled personnel irrespective of gender, sex, or any other classification.
- The guarantee that women and men will be compensated equally: equal pay for equal work.
- Supplier and contractor evaluations on gender equity issues.
