In a sector historically defined by structural barriers to women’s participation, Hindustan Zinc has broken the barrier with transformative efforts. We have moved beyond the question of whether women can work in mining to demonstrating, year after year, how women are leading it as decision-makers, business leaders, and role models for the next generation.

Problem Statement

For decades, mining, especially underground and shift-based operations, remained male-dominated, with barriers limiting women’s access to career-defining, core operational roles.

This created a dual challenge: the urgency of diverse talent and inclusive leadership to drive productivity and transformation, and inclusion of women.

Hindustan Zinc approach: enabling access, safety and progression

In FY2026, we deepened our agenda from enabling participation to enabling leadership through interventions designed to enable access, safety and progression, at scale and sustainably.

Key efforts included:

• Advocacy and access: Engaged stakeholders to drive broader acceptance of women in core mining roles, supported by safety, dignity, and enabling infrastructure in alignment with long-term people strategy.
• Safe and enabling infrastructure: Strengthened the ecosystem for women working in mines and across shifts to make participation sustainable and to ensure equal access to growth opportunities. Key interventions included:
  • Safe transportation and shift movement protocols
  • Dedicated facilities, gender-sensitive infrastructure, and enhanced security protocols
  • Supervisor sensitisation and inclusive leadership training
  • Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) awareness and respectful workplace training through PRISM (Prevention, Respect, Inclusivity, Safety & Mindset)
• Building talent pipeline: Strengthened hiring across STEM, mining, engineering, operational, and technical roles through enhanced campus engagement, early career hiring, and role-based deployment.
• Leadership progression: IGNITE (Inclusive Growth to Nurture and Inspire Talent to Excellence) programme to prepare women leaders for future CXO roles.