We are very proud of Véronique Loewen, one of our founding members, and Amber Doney, our Acting Board Chair, for being featured in this winter's Women of Saskatoon magazine. Full articles are available here.
Among discussing her many acheivements and involvement in her community, Véronique was asked why she felt it was important to start Women in Mining and Women in Nuclear Saskatchewan Inc.(WIM/WiN-SK).
Some of us were frustrated by the status
quo in the industry in terms of gender diversity – the lack of “room” for women. We could see the potential for women to participate in this sector, but knew that there were many misconceptions and fears. We wanted to help women, and students, realize that the mining and nuclear industries are good career choices for them, too. And, we wanted to help men in the industry see the benefits of the increased participation of women in what had historically been their turf. Both rganizations existed out East and were doing some important advocacy work, but there was no representation in Saskatchewan. So, three of us set out to do something about it. Since then, there have been many amazing women that have picked up where we left off and that have helped the organization grow tenfold. WIM/WiN-SK has emerged as a strong voice for women in these industries, providing both professional development opportunities and advocacy.
Amber Doney sheds light on the gender gap in the Saskatchewan mining and nuclear industries while explaining her experiences in the industry and how WIM/WiN-SK is aiming to support women.
I’ve been fortunate in my career. I’ve had some fantastic mentors, although predominantly male. Part of our challenge as an industry, to fill the workforce demand needed in the future, is to ensure we’re pulling from 100 per cent of the workforce and hiring the best candidate for every (posting), regardless of their gender.