Dear Women Coming Forward
Yesterday, I woke up to the articles being shared about your case. I opened the first one, and after reading just the opening line, I was overcome with sickness and rage. The words "urinated on and defecated in front of" are not only horrifying but should never exist in any context, let alone describe actions deemed acceptable anywhere—least of all in our industry.
You are women in mining. You are the ones who show up every day underground, driving trucks, analyzing data, making deals, supporting communities, and doing so much more. You are the women who have been shouting into the void, without protection, without support, while these heinous acts have been allowed to occur. The anger I feel toward this industry—and toward the individuals who overlook or excuse such behavior for the sake of profit—is immeasurable. To those who have said, "It’s not that bad," or have allowed you to be bullied, mistreated, assaulted, and harassed: your complicity is damning.
Where is the accountability? Where are the people being removed from their roles, their companies, and escorted not with a generous payout but to face real consequences—consequences that include the loss of opportunity and, when warranted, a jail cell? Where is the industry’s action to protect women, to eradicate these predators, and to create workplaces where dignity is non-negotiable?
To the brave women coming forward: you are extraordinary. Your courage surpasses words, and you are doing what so many of us wish we could do but feel unable to. You are carrying a torch for all of us who remain silent, afraid, or unable to speak out in an industry that often values power over justice. Your actions are a light in the darkness, and we know the road ahead will be steep. You will be called liars, exaggerators, troublemakers—anything to deflect blame and maintain the status quo.
But please, do not give up. Your bravery is a beacon of hope and inspiration for countless others. We see you. We believe you. And though many of us cannot stand beside you publicly, we are with you in spirit, in solidarity, and in shared outrage. Thank you for your courage, for your resilience, and for standing up against a system that desperately needs to change.
To the men who now have read these articles, who have seen the details of these incidents, and who choose to speak out, stand up, and say "no" to this behavior: thank you. We need you so desperately right now. Women have been saying for years that this is happening, and we are ignored. We need men to stand up to their colleagues and stand up for their female peers. Your voice is amplified in ways ours cannot yet be. Your power is tenfold compared to ours in this space. Please use it to help us turn this moment into a catalyst for radical change.
To the men reading these articles and thinking it’s all garbage—that women are asking for too much, exaggerating, or making this all up: what is wrong with you? How can you witness this pain, this injustice, and still deny its reality? Your indifference and dismissiveness perpetuate harm, and it is indefensible.
My heart physically aches for every woman involved in this case and for every woman who carries her own story but cannot speak out. We saw this with the Every Day Respect report. We knew it was happening. We hoped for change, and yet here we are. Two years have passed since that report—two years that should have been enough to protect people, to create real change, and to eliminate this pain. Two years is plenty of time to act, yet we are still enduring these horrors.
We need safety. We need inclusion. We need community. We need real consequences and accountability for those who commit these acts. We need to stop silencing and protecting those in power. We need action—action that goes beyond the words spoken on stages or the glossy photos of women in PPE. We need to confront these demons head-on and admit what is truly happening.
We can do it. We must do it. We are the only ones who can do it.
With unyielding determination and solidarity,
Beth
