Fortescue Metals Group (Fortescue) is proud to recognise the significant contributions of the Company's female employees at the 2021 Women in Resources Awards, with Reliability Engineer Pooja Haria scooping up the Outstanding Young Woman in Resources and People's Choice categories.
Organised by the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia, the awards celebrate individuals and organisations which help foster the development of women within the sector through career opportunities and increased participation.
Born to Indian immigrants in Kenya, Pooja experienced significant challenges growing up including access to a formal education. Her passion for STEM began in high school, where she identified the opportunities that a career in engineering would provide.
After securing a partial loan from her community, Pooja was able to continue her tertiary education in Malaysia before moving to Melbourne to study for a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Mechanical Engineering) at Victoria University. After a further financial setback when she was partially through her studies, Pooja was able to finish her final year of university with the financial support of her lecturers and other supporters
"It is humbling to be the recipient of the Outstanding Young Woman in Resources award. They say it takes a village to raise a child and I couldn't agree more as it was through the combined efforts of everyone that I crossed paths with and those who supported me through my journey that I can enjoy my career today," Pooja said.
"I hope to provide a similar support system for generations to come and look forward to the day when the critical role that we play in advocating and challenging gender inequality is no longer needed."
Fortescue Chief Executive Officer and 2020 Women in Resources Champion Elizabeth Gaines said, "I congratulate Pooja on this outstanding achievement. Her journey to becoming an engineer is an embodiment of our values of empowerment, courage and determination and I am confident she will become an important voice for diversity in the mining sector.
"On International Women's Day, Fortescue reaffirms our commitment to challenging gender bias and inequality. We want to ensure as many women as possible have the opportunity to enjoy a career and contribute to the Australian mining sector."
