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EQUALITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
RAILSTAFF MAY - JUNE 2022
SHEDDING THE
STEREOTYPES AND TAKING CENTRE STA
L
isa Hogben has over 15 years of experience in rail and is a board director with the NAWIC Australia. The fight for equality in rail is not yet over, she says. Research carried out in Norway looking into women’s representation on boards has found that 33% is the critical mass. When you get to onethird, the culture changes. “If the percentage is lower than this, the effect is little more than symbolic. It is when women feel that there are several of them, that they are not sitting alone at the table, that they begin to exercise their power” Siri Terjesen, 2016. It’s reasonable to surmise that the same principles apply outside of the boardroom, and that means that there are exciting times ahead for the global construction industry.
FOCUS ON THE INTANGIBLE In Australia, women’s representation in the construction industry is tracking at 13.4% according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which means there is a world of opportunity ahead of us. But big results require absolute unwavering commitment, and in the rail and construction industry when it comes to becoming more gender diverse and inclusive, our women are telling us that we are not always focusing on the right things. And the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) is listening. There’s no doubt that the rail, engineering, and construction industries are getting better at talking about equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), but when trying to ‘fix’ the underrepresentation of women in the workplace, we often default to the tangible, like the lack of women’s toilets on site, or ill-fitting PPE. Of course, these topics are hugely important but these are basic human rights – we shouldn’t be debating these things anymore. RAILSTAFF.CO.UK | @RAIL_STAFF | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF
What we see less of in our industry, is a focus on the intangible – the culture, values, and behaviours that create the (sometimes difficult) lived experience of women and other minorities in construction – this is often in the ‘too hard box’, because we’re much more comfortable building stuff, right? But is a failure to acknowledge the importance of what it feels like to work in construction for women holding us back from meaningful change? I asked a group of brilliant women who work in rail, to talk to me about their experiences – all wished to remain anonymous, and their names have been changed.
WORKPLACE CULTURE Victoria works in passenger experience and she has considered leaving the rail industry multiple times in her career, always because of the culture: “It was tough to adjust to a field that saw me as different from my male colleagues; where I received feedback on my personality not my performance. I’ve stayed because I want to make rail a better place for diverse people. I’ve been able to earn my place at the leadership table and I want to use my voice to make the industry more inclusive”. Victoria now forms part of the leadership team for two major projects and loves the fact that her work enriches communities, connects people from all walks of life, and leaves a legacy. In her view, the industry needs to work on being more inclusive, creating the space and culture for diverse people to achieve their potential and have brilliant careers in rail, and she is not alone.
PROVING YOURSELF Elizabeth has worked across multiple major rail projects, but went as far as actually handing in her resignation due to the culture of her workplace, although she was persuaded to stay by her male colleagues.
REPORT BY LISA HOGBEN
