The Female Industrial Revolution: Carving a path for women in the corporate world

Written by Fatima Hayat

A monumental shift is taking place as women are breaking through barriers and shattering glass ceilings in a world where their male counterparts have predominantly dominated in the professional sector. Not only are women navigating the labyrinth rat race of the corporate realm, but they are undeniably making their mark in the ever-evolving corporate landscape.

In the past, women have faced significant challenges while trying to succeed in fields where men have historically led. Women have encountered engrained biases, gender stereotypes, and a lack of representation at every turn of their journey, from boardrooms to engineering labs to mines.

However, their resilience, determination, and pioneering spirit have propelled them forward, inspiring change and paving the way for future generations. When Fatima Hayat, Human Resources Manager for Glencore’s Wonderkop Smelter first joined the mining industry 21 years ago, there were approx. 11 400 women in the sector according to figures provided by the Minerals Council of South Africa. This figure has since grown to 56,691 in 2019, translating into a 12% representation of women in the country’s total mining labour force of 454,861 people.

“When I first started my career years ago, the mining industry was dominated by males in leadership, which was challenging as a woman as I would at times be the only female in the boardroom. This would lead to feeling excluded at times, as naturally the topic of conversation would identify more with men; however, I decided to not let that deter me, so I had to make a choice: am I going to fit in and change my colleague’s way of thinking? I then instead took on the mindset of having conversations to help transform our workplace and help make our teameven better,” said Hayat.

With her illustrious and decorated experience at the top of the mining game, Fatima’s wish is to use her influence and power to aid and inspire women to take up more space in leadership roles. Though it has proven accurate that the future is digital, there is no denying that women are at the forefront of moulding how that desired future resonates within the current workforce.

As more women are rapidly climbing the corporate ladder, the HR juggernaut shares her nuts and bolts for aspiring and future female change-makers;

• Recognise your own strengths: Especially in the fast-paced corporate world where you can be swallowed in and once you have claimed your space at the table, then make the conscious choice of servant leadership. Recognise the strengths of others around you, guide them towards utilising these strengths in achieving their goals and in doing so, you don’t rise alone, you rise by lifting others with you.
• Keep learning: Understand the business beyond the scope of your core function so that you can be a strategic partner in the business as opposed to being limited to a departmental role. This displays a growth mindset.
• Know yourself, self-doubt is a killer of success: Own your strengths and your weaknesses and push yourself to consciously do things that are outside of your comfort zone. One of the attributes that helped me on this journey of transformation was getting to know myself because self-doubt is an impediment to success. I believe that owning your strengths and your weaknesses, and pushing yourself to consciously do things that are outside of your comfort zone is an important aspect of achieving success.
• Reframe rejection: Not everyone in a work environment will share your ideas or accept you, and certainly not everyone will celebrate your successes. This should make you look at the rejection and think, “alright, is it valid? Is it warranted and what is the opportunity in this for me to re-examine myself and use this for my own personal growth.”
• Integrity as your highest value: If you have integrity as a value you will always speak up for those who have no voice; you will always be authentic and consistent in your actions. I honestly believe that authenticity and integrity are synonymous with great leadership.

“As we commemorate and celebrate Women’s Month, I look back on my personal journey and advise many other women out there climbing the corporate ladder to draw strength from the struggles of those who came before them. Women should never lose confidence in their abilities simply because of their gender identities. No longer is being female a hinderance in the corporate world, it is a superpower.” Fatima concludes.

As the corporate landscape gradually evolves, Glencore remains committed to fostering an inclusive environment that champions diversity and equal representation. By celebrating the accomplishments of these pioneering women, we hope to ignite a powerful dialogue that not only acknowledges the struggles they have faced, but also underscores the importance of equitable opportunities for all.