Last week was Gender Equality Week. As a woman in a male-dominated field (Architecture, Engineering and Construction – AEC), I wanted to take the time to share with you what I know, and what I’m learning!
Below are some awesome women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) who have done amazing things. My bucket list totally includes having my mug on a poster like this!
I’m still learning when it comes to non-binary, and will likely get things wrong along the way, so bear with me!
The following 5 headings are actually ‘click to expand’ accordion items. It’s not obvious they expand, and we’re looking for a better option. If you have any suggestions, let us know!
Our Industry is Brutal
I have been in the Canadian AEC industry for 6 years. I’m sure there has been some progress made, but I can tell you first hand that we have a long way to go. I have met numerous people through my experience as an Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) and consultant, and have encountered my fair share of sexism. It was way worse when I was on the enforcement side, but it is still very prevalent in my current role. Sexism isn’t isolated to a certain ‘group’, and I have experienced from the trades and professionals.
Some of the things I’ve experienced:
- The ‘old boys club’ is still alive and thriving. And to be honest, the old school mentality is not isolated to just men. I have felt judged by women who have been in the game for their careers as well. Perhaps sometimes it is not sexism but ageism, which is not okay either.
- As an AHJ, I have sat in meetings and explained things to customers and had them disagree with me aggressively…but when my male co-worker sitting beside me repeats the exact same thing I have just said, there is agreement that he is right.
- I have had a client say to me “I’m surprised you have 3 kids, you look great”.
- I get called ‘girl’ all the time. Still. I am 34 and have had 3 kids…perhaps soon I will graduate to woman?
- I’ve been called ‘sweetie’, ‘honey’, ‘darling’ way too much. I have had colleagues or industry friends who I have a relationship with that it is okay….but if you do not have a relationship with someone, do not call them any of these.
- I’ve been told I’m ‘smarter than I look’.
- I have been mansplained to…a lot.
Luckily, I have a pretty thick skin and am getting more comfortable in addressing comments. I do think that sometimes it is that ‘old habits die hard’ and the comments are not ill-intentioned…but just like any other issue, once you know it can be offensive, you need to fix the wording.
The Future May Not Be Female, But It Is Feminine
There is a lot of ‘The Future is Female’ advocacy going on these days. I don’t think it is healthy to pendulum swing and believe that women only are the future. What does this say to our sons? What does this say to those who are non-binary? I have two sons and one daughter, and there is no way I am going to say that the future belongs to my daughter and not my two amazing boys. What I do believe is that our future is feminine. It this does not make sense to you, feel free to do a google search of ‘feminine vs masculine energy’ and go down a wonderful rabbit hole.
I love people. All kinds of people. I could talk to people for hours and hours, and I don’t think I’ve met a person who I didn’t like. When I started with Building Standards group at the City of Regina, I thought it was so great I got to interact with so many people, and I thought we would all get along and be friends. I was proven wrong, fairly quickly!
I used to operate very much with my ‘masculine energy’ when I started in the industry. I was in an enforcement role and the majority of the time I was approached with aggressiveness. So in order to hold my own, I needed to also puff my chest. It was extremely draining and anxiety-inducing. I now operate from an abundance mindset, with prioritizing collaboration over competition. It has been a life-changing switch and I have yet to see anything but good come from it!
What I’m Doing To Help
Learning all the things. Talking about the issue with others. Connecting with people who are advocates for an inclusive industry. I love funny people, and enjoy when real issues are addressed with light humour. One of my favourite funny people who uses humour to address issues is Lora McMillan. I don’t even know how I came across her on LinkedIn, but I have not been disappointed in the content she posts. Here are some examples:
What You Can Do To Help
Spread the good word about Kilo! We are a woman owned company on a mission to change the industry for the better. Follow us on LinkedIN or sign up for our weekly newsletter.
There are many resources available to keep learning. As a start, you can check out the following:
If you have a link you’d like added to the list, just drop a comment below!
What is Beyond the Codes?
Beyond the Codes is a series where I write about the things that make me tick. Working with the Building Code is great and all, but it is really so much more important than what is currently codified. The Building Code evolves at a turtle’s pace, and my goal with this series is to start conversations on how as an industry we can do better. I’m of the opinion we don’t need to wait for the Codes to change to do better. And if there are enough of us who focus on doing better collectively, we can raise the industry standard…even if the Codes haven’t caught up!
Here is the series to date:
- Beyond the Codes: Black Lives Matter
- Beyond the Codes: Accessibility and Inclusivity
- Beyond the Codes: What’s Possible with Collaboration?
- Beyond the Codes: It Takes a Village
- Beyond the Codes: Indigenous History Month
- Beyond the Codes: Throwaway Culture and The Construction Industry
- Beyond the Codes: Technology and Innovation
If any of these posts resonate with you, please do what you can to keep the conversation going and please share with those around you who would benefit from hearing the message too!
With this post, I’m hoping I was able to move you from the ‘unknown unknown’ to ‘known unknown’. And that’s where you can start reflecting and asking questions, even though you don’t have the answers. And when enough questions start getting asked, things can start to change. And that, my friends, is how we change the industry!
2 Responses
Since you kindly welcome suggestions for how to improve the graphics for the ‘click to expand’ drop down items , I’d like to suggest a simple solution that would make it obvious.
Add two boxes [expand all +][collapse all -] as per this example:
https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/building-construction/apply-for-a-building-permit/when-do-i-need-a-building-permit/
Great suggestion, and example. Thank you Elektra!