Driving respect
The Mining Industry Summit: Driving Respect (the Summit) was held on 1 August 2023 at Optus Stadium, with almost 1200 delegates attending. The event showcased an impressive array of keynote speakers, panel discussions, and case studies from experts across government, industry and academia.
The Summit was part of the WA Government’s response to the Parliamentary Enough is Enough report which focused on sexual assault and harassment in the WA resources sector. The Summit aimed to educate, inspire and empower leaders to drive respect and take meaningful action towards preventing and responding to sexual harassment.
Holly Ransom, a globally renowned leadership speaker, facilitated the proceedings. Keynote speakers included:
- Professor Sharon Parker, who shared preliminary findings of the Landmark Study into the safety culture of the mining industry that is funded through the Mental Awareness Respect and Safety (MARS) Program
- Dr Dean Laplonge, a global expert challenging gender norms and practices in the mining sector, who discussed his regional roadshow findings
- Kate Jenkins AO, former Sex Discrimination Commissioner, who provided a broad context on her work delivering the landmark Respect@ Work report, the evolving workplace culture towards women, and the challenges ahead.
The program also included six panel sessions on topics that explored ways to eradicate sexual harassment in the mining industry. Each session had a panel discussion, followed by an audience-led Q&A. See Summit presentations.
Hon Roger Cook MLA (Premier); Hon Bill Johnston MLA (former Minister for Industrial Relations) and Hon Sue Ellery MLC (Minister for Women’s Interests) all presented at the Summit, highlighting the government’s commitment to supporting key programs and working with industry to create a workplace culture that is free from violence, harassment and discrimination.
The Summit provided an opportunity to engage with leaders who are building respectful workplaces and driving positive change. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, recognising the commitment from the mining industry to confront and address sexual harassment in the workplace.
Further information
Further informationThe MARS Program continues its work in this area through the development of programs and supporting initiatives aimed at tackling these challenges.
