This International Women’s Day, we have spoken with some of our female graduates to find out about what this year’s theme #AccelerateAction means to them.
The theme for International Women’s Day this year is Accelerate Action, what does this mean to you?
Accelerate Action means understanding my privilege to be in a career that many women cannot easily pursue due to systemic barriers and taking action, no matter how small, to help drive the change I want to see. It means being actively part of the solution by acknowledging strategies and activities that positively impact women’s advancement and providing support for their implementation. This includes speaking up against discrimination even when it is uncomfortable and providing mentorship support for young girls aspiring to pursue a career in male-dominated industries.The theme also means understanding that the call for women empowerment and equality is not a competition with men, but a call for partnership where action can be accelerated through male allies that can commit to understanding systemic barriers against women empowerment, unlearning stereotypes and biases, calling out discrimination, and helping amplify marginalised voices. – Samantha Chinyoka, Graduate Electrical Engineer
Why do you think gender equality in the workplace in particular is so important?
Gender equality is so important in the workplace because diversity is an important asset in the workforce. With different perspectives and experiences, we can bring different skillsets together and find more dynamic solutions to problems. – Emma MacDonald, Graduate Electrical Engineer
Feeling comfortable and welcome at work is key to job satisfaction, and gender equity is a massive part of that. The nuances that diverse perspectives bring to any setting means that having people you can relate to at work can make a difference to both wellbeing and productivity. – Holly Barlow, Global Graduate
What advice would you give to other young women who would like to follow in a similar career path to you?
Seek out opportunities at companies that have a visible representation of women in the positions you aspire to work in. These women will be pillars of support and inspiration to help with your career progression. Also, seek support from male engineers who have made great strides in the industry, learning and unlearning from them on how women can break the glass ceiling.More importantly, have an awareness that the biggest barrier to achieving your career aspirations can be your mindset; what you perceive as you can or cannot do. Sometimes what seem to be hindrances can be overcome by simply asking and going for opportunities you think you might not necessarily be qualified for. – Samantha Chinyoka, Graduate Electrical Engineer
What has your experience been like as a young female starting out in the renewables industry?
Amazing! There are a few people whose attitudes are a bit outdated but my experience has been great, everyone around me has gone out of their way to make me feel supported and ensure that I know what to do if I don’t. Regardless of my gender, the renewables industry is fairly young and full of interesting problems for young engineers to get stuck into and will undoubtedly give me the opportunity for a fulfilling career ahead – Emma MacDonald, Graduate Electrical Engineer
There are still few female engineers in the renewables industry, so I consider myself privileged to work closely with a line manager who is an electrical engineer and has progressed well in her career. She has been a great source of inspiration and has created many opportunities for my technical and soft skills development, which has been instrumental to my professional growth. I am also grateful to have male allies at SPR who have encouraged me to share my ideas in meetings, acknowledged my contributions, and offered support as mentors. – Samantha Chinyoka, Graduate Electrical Engineer
Coming from university has been a challenge, as the renewables industry doesn’t yet reflect the diverse group of people studying engineering in the 21st century, however I’ve met people in the business who have championed me and made me feel especially welcome despite this! The women I’ve met in my office and through Connected Women in particular have been great! – Holly Barlow, Global Graduate
Is there anyone that has inspired you in your career so far?
Damilola Ogunbiyi the CEO of Sustainable Energy for All (SEforAll). She is a global leader advocating for Sustainable Development with a focus on empowering women and youth as energy champions for the green transition – Samantha Chinyoka, Graduate Electrical Engineer