The Diggers & Dealers Mining Forum has been one of the mining industry’s most famously blokey fixtures — a major Australian forum traditionally dominated by deals, beers, and men.
But this year, the industry’s most established mining gathering made room for something it had never seen before.
On 3 August, Women In Sustainable Energy & Resources (WISER) hosted Women on Top, the first women-only event ever held during the long-running Diggers & Dealers Mining Forum. The inaugural event brought women from across the resources sector together on the balcony of the Palace Hotel in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.
For WISER Founder Joanne Bergamin, making space for women at one of Australia’s biggest mining gatherings has been a “huge goal” and one that reflects how much the conversation around diversity and inclusion has changed.
“It was a fantastic atmosphere. No woman was left standing on her own — there was a really high level of energy and connection throughout the event,” Bergamin tells Mining.com.au.
Creating connections
Co-hosted by HopgoodGanim Lawyers, with additional backing from DDH1 Drilling, GHD, and the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC), the Women on Top event brought together women from across the resources industry.
Drillers, consultants, lawyers, and other professionals gathered in what Bergamin describes as a rare opportunity to connect outside the usual industry dynamic.
The significance of Women on Top extended beyond the event itself, with Bergamin saying, “We made connections with each other, and by the time we left on Friday morning, we were sitting together at the Kalgoorlie airport”.
For an industry heavily built around relationships and networking, that is precisely the type of connection WISER is trying to facilitate.
At Diggers & Dealers, where walking into a room filled with unfamiliar faces can be daunting, Bergamin says simply knowing other women are there can make a significant difference.
Challenging mining’s culture
Women’s presence in mining has changed dramatically over the past several decades.
For much of the 20th century, women’s involvement in mining was restricted by safety concerns and prevailing societal norms. In the late 1970s, female representation in the sector was considered an ‘exceptional occurrence’, as previously reported.
In Australia, women make up roughly 22% of the mining workforce, representing structural change in an industry historically defined by male dominance.
Bergamin explains that the challenge is not simply getting more women into mining, but ensuring they feel confident enough to occupy the spaces where the industry’s most important conversations take place.
“I remember a few years ago attending Diggers with a company and feeling I had to stay glued to my male colleague the entire time because I didn’t know anyone,” she says.
“This time, I already knew so many of the women there. That gave me real confidence to move around freely, introduce myself to people, talk about what WISER does, and encourage other women to join our network.”
That difference is perhaps one of the less visible impacts of building stronger professional networks.
The visibility gap
While networking is one piece of the puzzle, Bergamin believes that the industry also needs to confront a more fundamental issue.
At Diggers & Dealers this year, Bergamin notes that of the 70 corporate presentations delivered, only two were given by women.
“There are so many outstanding female CEOs and managing directors across the resources sector – from juniors through to the majors – so to see such limited representation among the speakers is genuinely astounding,” she says.
The issue, Bergamin says, is not necessarily a lack of capable women, but whether the industry gives those women enough visibility.
“We often assume that if we simply do a good job, the recognition will follow. But we have to actively ensure that the acknowledgment we receive matches the quality and impact of our work, and that it isn’t taken for granted.”
That distinction matters. Having women working in mining is one measure of progress. Having women leading companies, appearing on conference stages, sitting on panels, and shaping industry conversations is another.
Building momentum
WISER is keen to build on the strong momentum generated by this year’s landmark event and hopes that HopgoodGanim, along with our other valued supporters, will get behind the initiative again next year to make it even more impactful.
Bergamin says that WISER’s events, initiatives, and partnerships create real connections that drive careers forward and help shape a more inclusive future for the resources sector.
“I want step change, not incremental — I’m a bit ambitious but having a lot of fun at the same time,” she adds.
WISER is continuing to expand its national footprint, with more than 500 members, 50-plus events annually, and a strong focus on reaching regional communities.
The organisation is holding three galas this year in Perth, Brisbane, and — for the first time — Townsville. The Townsville network has already attracted strong support from local companies including Harmony Australasia and Wulguru Technical Services.
“We’ve got a great bunch of women who are running a subcommittee in Townsville and they’re absolutely killing it,” Bergamin says.
Wulguru Technical Services has taken its support a step further by offering WISER memberships to every woman who joins the company.
“Wulguru is not even a corporate partner of WISER, yet on a per-capita basis it has more members – currently 15 – than any other organisation,” Bergamin says.
“It doesn’t have the budget of a major like BHP, but it is providing genuine, concrete support for its women.”
For an industry where major events and networks are traditionally dominated by men, Women on Top showed the value of giving women the space to build connections, confidence, and visibility. More importantly, it offered a different picture of what the Diggers & Dealers Mining Forum can look like.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: WISER
