Stories of Women Bringing Light to the Mining Industry

Jakarta, 21 April 2022 – RA Kartini is well known for her jargon, After Darkness Comes the Light. Who would have thought that this jargon has also inspired Nurmalia who has been working for 10 years at PT Timah Tbk – Member of MIND ID.  Working in a male dominated company is not a hindrance for Nurmalia.

She believes that women who have dreams of working in the male-dominated energy, science and mathematics field, should not be hesitant to follow the dream if it is indeed her dream and passion.  Moreover, she believes that women in the mining industry can bring light to the sector.

“Men usually work specifically and going after the target, but they lack details, and details are the advantage of women,” explained Lia, as she is usually called, at the Tempo Media Group talk show on Women in the World of Mining (18/4).

She also stressed that women in Indonesia are very lucky. Lia, who lived for some time in the United States, said that it is in Indonesia that women have much freedom.  Women are also supported, not only in the professional world, but also in domestic life.

She cited as an example, that in the United States, maternity and childbirth leave are not paid, but in Indonesia, women continue to enjoy paid maternity and childbirth leave, and this is regulated by law.  Many of her colleagues, most of them men, support the her role of motherhood.

Lia, who already has a child, remembers well how she had to work at the field but needed to pump breast milk for her baby.  At that time, there was no special lactation room. She remembered that her colleagues, even her boss, provided his office for her to pump breastmilk, to be taken home.

“There are no limits to develop in Timah, if you have the knowledge and ability, no opportunity is closed for you to be trusted with a position, even higher than the men,” Lia disclosed.

According to Lia, PT Timah Tbk continues to adhere to the inclusivity regulation in the MIND ID Group.  Lia even mentioned that the women’s portion in Timah is already more than 100% of the stipulated regulation.

“In the MIND ID Group, at least 20% of the workers are women, this means that there are at least 5% of the women employees in Timah, however, women in Timah constitute 10% of the entire working force.  It is these women who bring light, exactly as Ibu Kartini once did,” Lia concluded.