Celebrating women on International Women’s Day
It is so important to celebrate women, not just today, but every day.
Although the world has progressed and women are now gaining more opportunities, there is still a way to go. I feel the message for this year, #BeatTheBias for International Women’s Day, is something I can relate to heavily. As a single mother, the general bias is that I live off the state and have no drive for a successful career. This is far from the truth and my work life balance is something I wish other single parents had access to.
I would say I have been ‘lucky’ in my career, but that is a phrase I am not willing to use as ‘luck’ shouldn’t come into it – my ability, determination, willingness to learn and professional qualities have been the key factors in my successful career path. I have also set my own boundaries so that I can fulfil my work life balance, bringing harmony to my life so I can be the best mother and also the best Ops Manager that I can be. Burn out in single parents is very real, setting boundaries and my setting my own goals has categorically been the best way to achieve what I want.
I have always been career focused since leaving school, I have always strived to be the best I can be in any role, and I have had my share of snide remarks from male co-workers, third party associates and often, other women. It took me a few years to place my feet firmly into a professional role as my true self and that has paid off in my role as Operations Manager here at A4 Plus. My character and work ethic are celebrated and appreciated here, and I don’t feel I need to change the way that I work to be taken seriously. I joined A4 Plus as a temp Recruiter and soon made myself a permanent fixture in the A4 Plus team as the Operations Manager. If I am honest, the thought of entering a role where 99% of the people I engage with are male, I was quite nervous. Would they take me seriously? What if they don’t respect me?
It is quite disheartening that these were my first initial thoughts, as women have been conditioned that we are ‘less than’ men. I can, however, see a shift happening in recent years and it is great to see so many women in senior leadership roles and/or female founded companies.
It is common knowledge that the Engineering sector, as a whole, is very male dominated. According to Wes Statistics, in June 2021, 14.5% of all Engineers in the UK are women and this increase has only been in recent years. It would be fantastic to see more women in the Engineering Sector in any role, particularly Computer Aided Design (CAD). It is certainly a challenge but worth it!
A4 Plus are actively working to #BeatTheBias and we recruit for the skills and experience needed for the roles we recruit, regardless of gender. By doing this, we are also actively encouraging our clients the beat the bias and work with them to support the best candidates for their roles. In the near future, I would be ecstatic to see women joining our team of Design Engineers here, in house.
Be an ally and let’s beat the bias together!
