Women Dive into Mining Head-on: Hindustan Zinc

Udaipur, India – Hindustan Zinc’s gender parity policies ensure that women’s voices and perspectives are heard, respected, and implemented unbiasedly. With a gender diversity ratio of 18.9 percent and 5.2 percent in leadership positions, the company strives to support women in the mining industry. The company is a firm believer in the importance of diversity and equal opportunity in a company’s success and growth, and it has made it one of the foundational ideals of its human resource management strategy. It acknowledges the significance of bringing women’s perspectives to the table and has implemented several policies and practices to that end. The company is dedicated to the Women Empowerment Principles developed and disseminated by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), in collaboration with the United Nations Global Compact.

Women hold critical roles at Hindustan Zinc in a variety of departments, including marketing, CSR, supply chain and logistics, and communication. Women account for approximately 15 percent of the company’s executive personnel. Since the government lifted the ban on women entering mines, allowing women engineers and geologists to work underground, women’s employment and research opportunities have increased and broadened.

Various initiatives were implemented to increase the number of women employees and encourage more women, resulting in achievements such as hiring the first women mining engineers at Hindustan Zinc. Sandhya Rasakatla, Underground Mine Manager at Hindustan Zinc’s Zawarmala Mine, and Yogeshwari Rane, Head of Planning & Development at Hindustan Zinc’s Kayad Mine, both received the ‘First Class Mines Manager’ certificate of competency in the ‘Unrestricted’ category.

The Diversity Mentoring Program at the company is aimed at assisting women professionals. The objective has been to nurture a pool of talented women by encouraging better retention, developing a coping system for organizational change, and assisting women professionals in self-development. During the first phase of the program, 168 women professionals were recognized and mentored by 108 higher-ranking company leaders.

The company assures and enforces no discrimination in its promotion, recruitment, placement criteria, or any other employment-related issues in order to promote and foster diversity as a regular practice within the company and in all associations involving key stakeholders. The only criteria for remuneration are the employee’s work and expertise.

Hindustan Zinc is focused on promoting diversity and inclusion both within the organization and among its partner communities. Women in the executive workforce were at 6 percent in FY 2011, and by the end of FY 2021, the figure had risen to 15 percent, highlighting the company’s growing women workforce at all levels and positions.

The Diversity & Inclusion policy at the company aids in determining, organizing, planning, and implementing the agenda, support apparatus, and scope of actions needed to eliminate the inequality that prevents the company from meeting its diversity goals. Excellent on-site medical services, child daycare facilities, restrooms, residential settlements, and other amenities are available to assist women in carrying out their responsibilities while meeting their fundamental needs for a healthy and clean work environment. As a result of these characteristics, the company has one of the highest ratios of women professionals returning to work after maternity leave. It exemplifies how easily the organization’s women professionals can balance work and personal responsibilities and commitments.

According to the most recent study, 401 women work in executive and non-executive positions at Hindustan Zinc, accounting for 10.78 percent of full-time employees, with 9.46 percent in top management positions, 11.2 percent in Operations and Maintenance, and 33.7 percent in Enabling functions. Women in mining who work in Asset Integrity, Mine O&M, and Mill O&M make up 9.4 percent of the workforce, while women in smelting who work in operations such as Smelter Asset Integrity, Smelter Operation, Lab, and so on make up 14.5 percent of the workforce. At the same time, women make up 35 percent of the active security workforce, and women make up 46 percent of the quality function, which oversees and ensures quality checks and systems in processes. These figures are expected to rise as the company launches new and innovative programs and initiatives to encourage and nurture women professionals.

Image Source: Hindustan Zinc Ltd