Louise Pearce, Global Managing Partner for ERM’s Mining Sector, has been named as one of the 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining 2016. Nominated by their peers, these women are recognised for their contribution to the mining industry and those around them.

The list is produced by Women in Mining UK (WIM) - a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting the employment, retention and progress of women in the mining industry.

Commenting on the recognition, Louise said: “I feel honored and humbled to be recognised in this way. The 100 women who feature in this list represent great diversity in the contribution that they make to both mining and broader civil society. They serve as role models for the next generation of great women who are working in the sector. For me, this responsibility means staying true to my core values, leading by example by focusing on results, and having a bit of fun along the way.

“The mining industry is the source of just about everything human made on the planet and its sustainability footprint is a concern to many stakeholders. I think that having more women and diversity in general, within mining companies and service providers, is an absolute necessity to address those sustainability-related concerns. It will allow us to improve the industry’s reputation and to allow for more effective contributions to transforming economies and livelihoods of so many.”

The foreword in the book containing the list asks why should we be talking about women in mining. “Put simply, gender diversity is vital to the success of our businesses. An ever-growing body of research shows that gender-balanced teams create better outcomes, better solutions and improved financial performance. Businesses need to access the broadest possible talent pool if they want to hire and retain the most skilled and qualified workforce. Bringing more women into the business is one way to achieve that goal.”

Download the Top 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining Book

Read more about Women in Mining

Empowering women and girls
As part of our commitment to the UN Global Compact, ERM is a signatory of the Women’s Empowerment Principles. We have also been involved in a number of technical and industry forums that explore the diversity and inclusion opportunities and challenges encountered by global businesses and in 2015, the ERM Foundation added "empowering women and girls" as an area of focus for funding projects reflecting the new global Sustainable Development Goals. A number of highlights in our 2015 Sustainability Report illustrate this, including:

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Sustainable agriculture in Rwanda