It is great to see the mining industry living up to its sexist reputation at the “colourful” Diggers and Dealers mining company conference this week in Kalgoorlie, where “skimpy barmaids” are apparently “part of the experience”, not to mention strippers and sex workers. A check of the program this year shows there’s not a single female speaker at the conference out of over 50 speakers addressing the gathering.

From memory, that’s actually down on previous years, when a couple of female executives have braved the topless barmaids and drinking contests for which the event is renowned. We wonder if the Minerals Council’s stall at the event will have any flyers for its “gender diversity in mining” campaign, and we don’t mean for waitresses and bartenders.

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