Moving out of the Shadow: EXCELLING IN A MALE

DOMINATED FIELD

By Engr. Mrs. Funmilade

Akingbagbohun

In Nigeria, there is a shortage of skilled manpower at all levels.

Aggravating this problem is the low rate of participation of women in engineering and technology.

As a result, the Nigerian society is deprived of almost half of its human resources, greatly needed to solve its problems

Introduction

... Being a woman is unique on its own; yet as challenging as it is, it is an opportunity for our gender as we form the bedrock of society building.

The beauty in our challenges..

... Women have been making incredible strides in the workplace in the past decades;

4% of the world’s major corporations are led by women.

On average, women are just 15% of executives and corporate officers.

With women making up approximately 51 percent of the world’s population, having average 15% of women in executive position is still considered a far cry from the norm.

Women in Male Dominated Career

Organizational biases Stereotypical gender roles

and expectations

Male resistance and prejudices.

Physical and health related difficulties

Work-life balance.

The Challenges…

What is/are the way out?

Moving out of the shadow….

Who am l?

Where have I been?

Where am I now?

Where am I going?

what are the things I need to do to get there

Know yourself and have a goal plan…

To succeed in any field, whether male dominated or not, the primary key toward success is your ability to discharge your duty.

Know what your capability..

it is important to research the career and have a fair knowledge of what it takes to succeed in the sector. Research those who have succeeded in it and study their attitude to workEquip yourself with knowledge and be prepared from the task ahead

Know the tasks ahead and be prepared for them

Focus and the desire…

Half-hearted ambition does no one any good in the long run. More often than not, such personals ended up giving up in the face of daunting challenges.

If you are going to succeed in male dominated careers, you must be ready to go all the way till you cross the finishing line.

Organize Your Life…The key ingredient to success at work whether male dominated or gender friendly, whether private or public or self-employment… is the ability to organize yourself efficiently and coordinate the three elements…

Organize Your Life…

Personal and Domestic undertaking

Professional responsibility

Social obligation

Don’t neglect your health…

Share responsibility and don’t try to be a superwoman who performs all tasks on her own.

Go for regular medical checkup and you exercise regularly to keep your body in shape.

Find a mentor and learn from those ahead of you…

Mentoring as crucial key for women to move out of the shadow of mediocrity and stereotype

Many young girls and ladies have negative perception about their chances and zigzag across their academic pursuit between giving up and tagging along.

Mentoring such girls offer them opportunity

Help a girl to nurture and follow here dream…

Without inspiring girls to take up career in science engineering and technology, there won’t be women in those careers.

How you can contribute to girl’s career aspiration…

Adopt a career protégé

Be a role model

Let girls around you know that you are in science and engineering. It will arouse their curiosity. How did you make it? Can they also make it?

Inspire girls to dream and prepare them for challenges

How Professional l Associations can Contribute to girl’s career aspiration…

Organize regular career programmes for girls in the locality

Visit schools to inspire girls

Organize regular competition(s) and introduce girls to excellence in their field

Conclusion..

working in male dominated professions can be challenging. But through combination of personal efforts, professional networking and domestic stability, we can indeed achieve success and greatness in any undertaking we embark on.

Greatness can be achieve collectively…

The key is to be realistic, and take charge of your career in positive ways.

Le us to work as one united body and support one another in our career growth through our various associations and networks.

Don’t limit yourself…

“Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve.. May Kay Ash

Let your work and attitude lead you to greatness and happiness… “Stepping onto a brand-

new path is difficult, but not more difficult than remaining in a situation, which is not nurturing to the whole woman.” Whatever you do, believe in yourself, believe in your people and believe in life. Let your work and attitude lead you to greatness and happiness you richly desire.”Maya Angelou

Thank You