Women in (So-Called) Male Careers
My line of work is Environmental
Auditing, which often takes me to construction sites in Gauteng. These sites
are dusty, hot, and dangerous. Physically gruelling work has traditionally been
only for men, and even today it is still dominated by males. However, now more
women than ever before are taking up jobs in these types of industries.
Women are engineers, safety
officers, quantity surveyors, construction workers, and miners. Equity laws have
made this possible, but it also shows a drive and capability of women to play
key roles in services that a country cannot do without. And they get things
done while still maintaining their female identity. I met a lady who wore
overalls and hard safety boots, but her perfume scent wafted gently from her,
through the baking heat and dust.
Sadly, challenges still arise for
women in these industries. While on the whole, the male perspective is
shifting, with many men giving proper respect to women they work with, there is
always a male worker who dares to hiss suggestively at a female superior. There must be gender sensitivity training, and
serious consequences for these actions.
I was once told by a distant uncle
that I should have chosen a more feminine career, because Environmental Sciences
is for men. To him and all men like him, I do not dignify such views with a
response, but instead I become even more driven to transform the economy in
ways he cannot.
Women at work, I commend you.
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