Civil Engineering January/February 2021 | Vol 29 No 1

10 January/February 2021 Civil Engineering The report also notes that the involvement of women in tertiary education has been rising significantly. Not only is enrolment increasing faster for women than for men, but women in tertiary education currently outnumber men. However, it is common knowledge that women continue to be grossly underrepresented in the science, tech- nology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, representing just over 35% of the world’s STEM graduates . By pursuing the Success Through Academic Readiness or STAR pro- gramme, SAICE must continue to look at addressing this imbalance and I hope to add value to this programme during my presidential year. My hope is for SAICE to make further inroads into attracting more talented females into the civil engineering profession, particularly those from rural areas and low-income households who would not ordinarily get the opportunity. BREAKING THE GLASS CEILING A very concerning aspect of gender inclusivity is the fact that many woman engineering professionals are leaving the profession. Recent statistics from the Engineering Council of South Africa show that 70% of the women who graduated with engineering degrees left the sector after starting their careers because they felt isolated in their jobs. Many South African female engineers continue to battle old stigmas in this male-dominated industry, despite being in managerial posi- tions, where they must put in the extra effort to prove that they can do their jobs. In 2019 I conducted research for my master’s dissertation on the effects of the glass ceiling on woman engineers in consulting firms in South Africa. A total of 140 female engineering professionals responded to the survey. The results showed the following: Q Q 85% agreed that assertiveness by woman engineers was viewed as a negative characteristic in their organisations. Q Q 74% believed that vital decisions are made by men outside of formal meetings. Q Q 63% believed that “old boys clubs” in their organisations limited women’s opportunities to advance to manage- ment positions. Q Q 66% were of the view that their com- pany’s structure and culture favoured male engineers. Of the women who had stayed in their organisations for between 6 and 10 years, 72% supported the fact that women had to outperform their male counterparts to be promoted to the same position in their organisations. For many of us these results are not surprising. Women are leaving the industry because they feel highly undervalued in their organisations, and that it is why we need to fully embrace the saying that “gender inclusivity is not about being accepted ; it is about being respected .” To my male counterparts: we men should not have the perception that we have the authority or right over women to accept them into our work environment. As human beings and as professionals we should respect the presence of women in our profession without the need for acceptance. For far too long, many female engineers have been relegated to the sidelines due to the opinion of some male engineers that they did not ‘fit the narrative’. This mindset must change, as it constrains the development of woman engineers, thereby contributing to the scarcity of skilled woman engineers in our industry. Furthermore, when building a gender- inclusive workplace, the strategy should not be based on the premise that, by employing more female engineers and reducing the pay disparity, gender inclu- sivity and equity will be achieved. The strategy must be based on the eradication of a systemic problem that needs to be dealt with on a much deeper level, where a culture of support and inclusivity lays the foundation for marginalised voices to be heard and for their contribution to their organisations to be valued. LEADERSHIP Inspirational and transformational leader- ship can be a driving force in achieving Vishal with his wife Ashmal, daughter Adharta, and son Raúl