run in the family of University College student Tania Galarce, but to become a
mining engineer is a rare occurrence for women in Chile. Mining in Andean
countries has been slow to incorporate more women into the field, with less
than 15% of women workers in that sector, according to the Economic Commission
for Latin America and the Caribbean. In Chile, that percentage is even smaller,
with women accounting for around 7.5% of the mining labor force.
didn’t stop Tania, who comes from a long line of miners, including her
great-grandfather who died in the “Smoke Tragedy,” where more than 350 miners
lost their lives in 1945 because of a fire inside the El Teniente mine in
equity is a recurrent aspect, but it was far from discouraging and instead was an
incentive to be part of the new generation of women in mining,” she said. “I
chose to be a miner because I enjoy the possibility of having access to broad
Tania worked as a project engineer at Mineria y Medio Ambiente, an engineering
consultancy office focused on environmental permits for mine projects. Today,
Tania looks at the environmental angle of mining while pursuing a master’s
degree in Environmental Policy and Management.
my engineering background with this environmental management program will help
me make this industry a sustainable and responsible activity which can co-exist
with the environment and communities.”
graduate program offered through University College helps students navigate the
complex relationships between the environment, management, and policy.
Graduates are prepared to solve the many environmental challenges in our local
and global communities, and we can expect Tania to do just that.