Throughout my 25-year career, I have had the privilege of working alongside many extraordinary women who have been trailblazers in the resources industry. I have lived through and been part of a material change in gender equity in this industry, which is immensely positive and a credit to many great female leaders. However, there are still many stories and examples which highlight that we still have much more potential to realise in this industry.

Achieving Gender Equity is something that I am passionate about and believe is core to the future success of the resources industry and trust we must maintain with broader society. The positive impact from the changes I have already seen in the industry is significant and I have no doubt this will be amplified many times as we make further progress.

At IGO, I am proud to be part of an organisation that has long recognised the benefits of diversity and inclusion and has strong conviction that achieving greater gender balance in leadership, and across the business, will build a more sustainable and stronger business.

IGO has implemented multiple programs to attract, retain, and promote increased female representation both within our business and across the broader mining and resources industry. Our standards and policies support a diverse and inclusive workforce through fair and equitable remuneration, hiring and recruitment practices, flexible working and generous parental leave for all genders, as well as other initiatives focused on mentorship, leadership and equality.

As a result of this commitment, IGO has achieved a higher representation within our workforce of those who identify as females compared to industry peers. We also have strong female leadership within our Executive Leadership Team and Board and our recent gender pay gap data highlighted we are doing better than the industry average. While we are proud of this track record, I also recognise that we are still far from being representative of society. This is a long-term challenge, and we need to keep working to improve equality across our business.

While challenging ourselves to do much more in the journey towards equality, we also take time to celebrate the remarkable IGO women and the significant contribution they make across our business. One of the key elements of our unique IGO culture is the way in which we recognise and celebrate difference, and how we empower, support and respect each other.

We are proud to be a Work180 Endorsed Employer, which recognises our commitment to working towards equity, an inclusive culture and championing diversity, and a HESTA 40:40 signatory, through which we are committed to achieving and maintaining gender balance in executive leadership.

IGO has been a member of CEOs for Gender Equity since 2018. This organisation has helped to create a place where companies and leaders can learn from each other, encourage each other and celebrate the collective progress. I understand that achieving gender equity is a collective effort, and I believe that as leaders we have a responsibility to drive change to create a future where gender equity is considered the status quo.

Being part of the CEOs for Gender Equity, I look forward to networking with other business leaders to share knowledge and challenge each other to make a difference in our workplaces now and into the future.