Civil Engineering July 2021 | Vol 29 No 6

2 July 2021 Civil Engineering development in the process. As the saying goes, “You can’t be what you can’t see”. We need more female engineers to act as role models for young women who are in the profession or want to enter the profession. GLOBAL COMMITMENT At the recent UN Generation Equality Forum in Paris, govern- ment organisations, private enterprises and lobbyists came together to address gender equality and collectively committed US$40 billion to advancing the cause for gender equality on a global scale. The UN has decided that the time for dialogue is over and has convened Equality Action Coalitions to deal with issues such as: Q Q Intersectionality – shedding light on the multiple and inter- secting forms of discrimination that are experienced by many women and girls. Q Q Feminist leadership – aiming to openly and purposefully redistribute power and responsibility in a way that is inclusive, participatory, and mindful of gender, age, race, social class, sexual orientation, ability and other intersecting identities. Q Q Transformation – transforming structures, systems and powers that reinforce inequalities. In her opening speech at the Generation Equality Forum, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UNWomen, noted that, “Women are just one-quarter of those who are managers, they are one-quarter of parliamentarians around the world, they are one-quarter of those who negotiate climate change, less than one- quarter of those who negotiate peace agreements. One-quarter isn’t equality. Equality is one-half.” Let us take heed of what our honourable past president has had to say and strive towards achieving that equality. Vishal Krishandutt SAICE President 2021 president@saice.org.za Civillain by Jonah Ptak: All Charged Up and Nowhere to Go For more engineering humour, please visit “Unreal Bridges” on Facebook and “@TheUnrealBridge” on Twitter.