Rubee Kongbrailatpam - Superintending Engineer, PWD, Manipur

Civil engineering is as much about people management and improvising on the go as it is about the technicality and the science of it. As a carrer, it is both rewarding and challenging.
Rubee Kongbrailatpam, Superintending Engineer, PWD, Manipur

Breaking into a male-dominated civil engineering sector has posed the biggest challenge.

After completing my B.Tech, I joined as a lecturer in an Engineering College, but after a year into it, I joined the State Engineering Services as an Assistant Engineer. After subsequent promotions, I’m currently serving as a Superintending Engineer in the State Works Department.

Gender biases and stereotypes were prevalent in this male-dominated civil engineering sector. This was initially reflected in me being given smaller (easier) assignments. Secondly, working in the remotest parts of North-East India, coupled with the need to communicate with different individuals and professionals from a variety of backgrounds, was very challenging. On the upside, these challenges have definitely shaped my professional ethos and accelerated my personal growth.

The area of civil engineering that interests me is construction of roads and highways in hilly terrains.

The goal is to construct roads using new technologies in an environmentally friendly way and making judicious use of resources as much as possible. Using geosynthetics as a substitution to conventional building materials has gained much popularity in recent years.

One of the most challenging instances in one of the road projects in the hills was the construction of an embankment in a 35-metre-deep valley, where conventional system of construction of RCC wall as retaining structure had failed. It was then proposed that a reinforced earth retaining wall with geocell as facia of a height of 33 metres should be constructed as a trail stretch. The stretch was successfully executed and was much more cost effective. It was also the first of its kind in India. After the success of the stretch, the technology has been extensively used in the construction of embankments in many hill road projects in the Northeast region.

When a male counterpart works long hours or goes outstation for a training session, it is seen as “commitment” but when a woman does the same, her commitment towards her family is questioned.

I believe that, up to a certain extent, a bias is still there when it comes to working extra hours or travelling extensively, and the perceived value is different for men and women. In my line of work, late hours, long meetings, and of course site visits to far flung areas are routine. But when a male counterpart undertakes extensive hours or goes on a long training session, it is automatically interpreted as “commitment" and I feel that there is a little bit of differential interpretation when a woman does the same; in her case, her commitment towards her family is questioned. I feel it has to do with societal expectation of what a woman should be prioritizing. But output and positive impact should be ideally the marker of one’s value in the workplace rather than hours logged in.

The societal scrutiny that working women face (especially from my part of the world) makes things more complex.

As cliché as it may sound, I try not to bring my work home. Learning to “switch off work mode” has been one of the hardest things I had to learn. Having said that, the pressure and expectations from society is always high and motherhood only adds to that, as women do have the biological responsibility of nurturing her baby. The societal norm and expectation that the women should be the primary caregiver and is assigned that role by default is seen frequently.

Women are multi-taskers, they manage things well. We are always making mental to-do lists, and everything from the most menial of tasks to long term planning is always at the back of our minds. This also leads to mental and physical fatigue, which, I think sometimes affects our productivity at work. As somebody who works long hours, I sometimes question if I’m giving adequate time to my family. On top of that, the societal scrutiny that working women face especially from my part of the world makes things more complex. To that end, I believe having a supportive partner makes a very positive difference.

A more equitable distribution of domestic responsibilities will go a long way in addressing one of the root causes of gender inequality.

When it comes to levelling the playing field, I think it should be an even split of responsibilities and of course, workload. If women are not to have access to reservation (affirmative action policies), then a more positive response from their partners and other family members will go a long way in helping them manage their stress levels, workload and reduce burn out rates. It will help bridge a critical gap in gender inequality. Gender equality should not only be confined to the workspace, it should be reflected in our domestic lives as well. Domestic work, caregiving and, most importantly, child rearing should not be the specialized domain of the woman of the family. Family support is often considered a valuable gift.

Family support has been one of the cornerstones of my professional journey and growth.

Having a supportive husband has been instrumental in navigating the challenges that my job posed at different junctures in my career. Being a mother of two very young daughters, it would have been not possible to juggle work and family responsibilities without the support of other members of my family. Having a shared vision and a strong commitment towards realization of that vison has fostered better sense of teamwork and partnership between me and my husband.

Civil engineering is as much about people management and improvising on-the-go as it is about the technicality and the science of it.

The most significant lesson is to always back yourself and always be ready to improvise. As a young woman, when I was initially starting out in civil engineering, I always knew that it was going to be challenging. But a few years into my job, I realised that civil engineering is as much about people management and improvising on the go as it's about the technicality and the science of it. I would like to tell young female engineers to be ready for a career that’s both rewarding and challenging. Learning to compartmentalise is the key, but always reach out to your family and partner if you feel overwhelmed.