Diversity, gender equality and attractive workplaces in the Swedish mining industry

Purpose and goal

The aim of the project was to in collaboration with the mining industry identify, develop and describe a number of larger project proposals and partnerships addressing some of the short to medium term goals relating to “gender equality and diversity” and “attractive workplaces” defined by STRIM. The project has successfully identified five themes in need of further research but the project has not been able to form partnership relating to these themes.

Expected results and effects

Identified themes are: Digitalization, possibility or threat; the image of the mining sector – macho or modern; New employees old work organizations; Ethnic diversity in mining – formal and informal obstacles; outsourcing gender-equality; attractive mining towns as a precondition for gender equality and diversity in mining. To translate these themes into actual research, specific funding should be appropriated and the engagement of the industry secured on the level of calls rather than projects.

Planned approach and implementation

The plan was to conduct the project in close collaboration with the mining industry, thereby creating a momentum that potentially would lead to future research applications. As the project proceeded, it was evident that such collaboration was not possible to obtain. This difficulty to get the industry to, in times of time-pressure and perspectives overload, prioritize horizontal development is probably also part of the reasons behind the scars number of relative project proposals.