Exxaro recently launched the Gender Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) 100-Day Challenge, alongside the Presidency and the Minerals Council of South Africa (MCSA).

The campaign, which ran between April and June 2022 aimed to encourage all employees and employers to create a safer environment for women in the workplace.

Over these 100 days, Exxaro amplified its GBVF awareness initiatives across all our operations, including at the conneXXion, in line with our Diversity and Inclusion strategy.

This is not the first time Exxaro has taken a stand against GBVF. Since 2018, we have led many campaigns, even pledged R3.5 million to the Presidency GBVF Response Fund in 2021, and we continue to host a series of workshops and masterclasses to raise awareness.

According to Vanisha Balgobind, Executive Head: HR, “GBV is a human rights violation with far-reaching consequences for its victims, including psychological, physical and emotional trauma. This inevitably has an impact on all facets of life, including careers, family life and the ability to live in society without fear.”

According to the MCSA:

• Women now comprise 12% of the industry’s entire labour force between 2019 and 2021.
• Abuse, harassment and intimidation by male colleagues is a key challenge that many women confront daily.

“In the last quarter of 2021, we ran an industry-wide survey across the mining sector through the MCSA and we are
now in a better position to identify and implement concrete interventions to address GBVF in the workplace,” says Balgobind.

With the recent increase in GBV, the South African Government is determined to put into place new legislation and programmes to protect the women and children of South Africa from abuse. These programmes include a victim empowerment programme committed to intensifying and accelerating efforts to achieve the elimination of all forms of violence against women and children.