Skip to content

ArcelorMittal colleague among most inspirational women in mining

Wing-Yunn Crawley, biodiversity manager from our mining operations in Liberia, has been named a finalist in the 2016 “100 Inspirational Women in Mining” list by Women in Mining (WIM) UK, which celebrates the positive impact of women within the global mining sector. Wing has also made a top 10 list, compiled by the editor of … Continued

Wing-Yunn Crawley, biodiversity manager from our mining operations in Liberia, has been named a finalist in the 2016 “100 Inspirational Women in Mining” list by Women in Mining (WIM) UK, which celebrates the positive impact of women within the global mining sector.

Wing has also made a top 10 list, compiled by the editor of Mining Global magazine, who whittled down WiM’s original 100 to the 10 he felt were most inspiring of the them all. His list featured in the January 2017 issue of Mining Global Magazine, which has a specific focus on women in mining.

Passionate about balancing the relationship between mining and the environment, Wing has built strong links with local communities, NGOs, and government agencies, which may explain why these accolades have come her way.

Explaining her reason for choosing to apply her skills and passion for nature from within a mining company, rather than working for conservationists, Wing said:

“This job is an opportunity to make a difference from the inside and influence decisions, to really push at an internal level to ensure the company mines responsibly.”

Wing’s extensive experience in expeditions and long-term surveys in remote parts of the Philippines and Sierra Leone and reputation for delivering standout work under budget and ahead of schedule, have marked her out as a remarkable talent.

At ArcelorMittal Liberia, Wing has set up from scratch a biodiversity offset programme to compensate for the impact caused by mining in mountainous tropical rainforest. She and her team have had many Liberian firsts, from piloting conservation agreements to radio tracking endangered species, supporting the co-management of protected areas, and developing different agricultural systems to alleviate pressure on forests.

Four years into her stewardship, the programme has become a global group showpiece and she has become a familiar face on international conference circuit.

She’s even had a newly-discovered butterfly named after – a rare honour in the scientific world.

The butterfly – Wing’s Epitola—Cephetola wingae – bears Wing’s name in recognition of her significant contribution to ArcelorMittal Liberia’s biodiversity programme.

Szabolcs Sáfián, who discovered the butterfly, said: “The species is named after Wing-Yunn Crawley, biodiversity programme coordinator for ArcelorMittal Liberia. Wing is among the most enthusiastic conservationists I have ever worked with.

“Without her commitment, the East Nimba Nature Reserve and the Liberian Nimbas would not have received their well-deserved attention and care from conservation organisations and researchers”.

WIM (UK) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting the employment, retention and professional development of women in the mining and minerals sector. This group was created in 2006 and now includes more than 1,200 members representing a variety of mining-related businesses and professions. The organisation promotes informal networking opportunities and access to ideas across and beyond corporate cultures.

WIM (UK) 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining Project is an international collaboration between women in mining groups from the UK, Australia, Canada, South Africa and the United States.

Welcome back , to continue browsing the site, please click here