Sangeen Desai - Keller Ground Engineering India
Companies should make a conscious effort to hire more and more women engineers, provide an unbiased work environment, promote women to leadership roles, and provide ample training so that they can grow in their profession.
Sangeen Desai, Manager- Business Development (M-Tech Geotechnical – IIT Roorkee), Keller Ground Engineering India.
I believe that fearing roadblocks in one’s professional or personal growth is just a mindset or a perception. Right from the start of my professional journey, I was outspoken about my requirement for support, training, and guidance from my mentors/organisation, which I needed to help drive my performance at work and to grow professionally. I was fortunate to have mentors (male) within my organisation who supported me, provided equal opportunities, and a platform to grow.
I believe that work is work, irrespective of gender. However, I do agree that there are women who face discrimination, which is unfair, as all individuals need to be respected more than anything else.
Women in the construction industry who visit construction sites are often looked down at or commented upon negatively. To bring normalcy for women in the industry, companies should make a conscious effort to hire more women engineers, provide an unbiased work environment, promote women to leadership roles, and provide ample training to them so that they can grow in their profession. I was also under the false impression that for women to attain a leadership position in our industry was impossible. I believe that young women entering this profession would benefit from a woman division head to mentor and inspire them.
Unfair scrutiny, prejudice and bias, and an unwelcoming behaviour are part and parcel of our industry. In such a scenario, my message for emerging women professionals in the field of civil construction is ‘never give up’. I would like to tell them that they should not get unduly affected by such behaviour, rather, they should keep their focus on their goal and work towards achieving it. They should be bold in voicing their specific requirements (it may be clean washrooms at site, proper PPE, travel safety, flexible travel time, etc), because if you can’t stand for yourself no one else is going to.
I would also advise them to look for a mentor (male or female) within or outside the organisation (but in the same industry) who can guide them to excel in their field of work. Lastly, many a times a woman professional, unable to deal with the pressure at work and at home, would want to leave her job, but remember that it’s easy to quit but it requires strength to remain rock solid in your professional journey. So, do not take the easy way out.
Sangeen Desai, Manager- Business Development (M-Tech Geotechnical – IIT Roorkee), Keller Ground Engineering India.
One should not fear challenges but rather see them as opportunities for professional and personal growth.
My initial years of learning were very crucial, and though challenging, they provided me with opportunities to learn and develop new skills. With strong determination and a positive attitude, I learned to work through all the challenges and emerged stronger with every passing year.I believe that fearing roadblocks in one’s professional or personal growth is just a mindset or a perception. Right from the start of my professional journey, I was outspoken about my requirement for support, training, and guidance from my mentors/organisation, which I needed to help drive my performance at work and to grow professionally. I was fortunate to have mentors (male) within my organisation who supported me, provided equal opportunities, and a platform to grow.
My area of interest is to understand the requirement of customers and approach it as an advantageous opportunity.
I am a geotechnical engineer with 14 years of experience. My job demands understanding soil stratification, site boundary conditions, make site visits, understand the structure that is to be constructed, ensure technical performance and long-term behaviour of the foundation, identify risks and plan for their mitigation. Lastly, my area of interest in this entire cycle is to understand the requirement of customers in order to provide the most suitable foundation system, provided the requirement/demand is technically as well commercially feasible. Individual sites / grounds come with their own challenging subsoil conditions and need to be treated independently since its never as simple as 1+1 =2 for geotechnical engineers.A conscious joint effort by companies for empowering women workers will surely help them nurture good and talented women leaders.
Criticising or judging women for their long work hours, travelling, or job profile is done by people who have a limited perception of what these women are achieving. For me, travelling for work hasn’t ever been a matter of concern as my family is both practical and supportive, including my six-year-old daughter.I believe that work is work, irrespective of gender. However, I do agree that there are women who face discrimination, which is unfair, as all individuals need to be respected more than anything else.
Women in the construction industry who visit construction sites are often looked down at or commented upon negatively. To bring normalcy for women in the industry, companies should make a conscious effort to hire more women engineers, provide an unbiased work environment, promote women to leadership roles, and provide ample training to them so that they can grow in their profession. I was also under the false impression that for women to attain a leadership position in our industry was impossible. I believe that young women entering this profession would benefit from a woman division head to mentor and inspire them.
If a woman has the right support system - family, manager and peers, work would become a normal routine.
Right priorities should be set for both office work and to meet family requirements. At the same time, there should be equal sharing of domestic responsibilities among the men and women in the family. It’s time that we changed our mindset that housework is the responsibility of women only. If sharing finances is a dual responsibility, then why not sharing domestic responsibilities? Ultimately, we are setting examples for our next generation, and we should ensure that the right examples are being set.Unfair scrutiny, prejudice and bias, and an unwelcoming behaviour are part and parcel of our industry. In such a scenario, my message for emerging women professionals in the field of civil construction is ‘never give up’. I would like to tell them that they should not get unduly affected by such behaviour, rather, they should keep their focus on their goal and work towards achieving it. They should be bold in voicing their specific requirements (it may be clean washrooms at site, proper PPE, travel safety, flexible travel time, etc), because if you can’t stand for yourself no one else is going to.
I would also advise them to look for a mentor (male or female) within or outside the organisation (but in the same industry) who can guide them to excel in their field of work. Lastly, many a times a woman professional, unable to deal with the pressure at work and at home, would want to leave her job, but remember that it’s easy to quit but it requires strength to remain rock solid in your professional journey. So, do not take the easy way out.
NBM&CW - March 2024