December 2, 2009

Stereotyping still a barrier for women in construction

PATRICIA WILLIAMS

staff writer

Stereotyping of women’s abilities remains an issue in the engineering industry, says professor, engineer and author Monique Frize.

“To be seen as an engineer, one must look, talk and act like an engineer. In most workplaces, this means looking, talking and acting male,” she told the Canadian Association of Women in Construction.

Frize, the first Canadian woman to graduate from the University of Ottawa with a bachelor of applied science degree in engineering, said a more female-friendly workplace culture is needed.

“Frequently, women are reluctant to express feminine qualities, fearing loss of credibility,” said Frize, who has been active in promoting careers in science and engineering among women.

Frize, a professor at both Carleton University and the University of Ottawa, said there has been a decline in recent years in the number of women entering first-year engineering programs.

“The curriculum, traditional style of teaching and the culture are still part of the problem,” she said.

Frize, author of the just-published The Bold and the Brave, a history of women in science and engineering, said attracting and retaining women is just one issue that needs to be addressed.

“Equity means equal chances of success and career development,” she said.

“It means equality in the respect obtained from peers and employers; it means having a voice at meetings and conferences.”

While there now are more women in decision-making positions, “lots more are needed.”

Frize spoke on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the massacre of 14 women students at Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal. At the time of the tragedy in 1989, she had just been appointed the first NSERC/Northern Telecom chair for women in engineering at the University of New Brunswick.

“For the first time in my life, I was unafraid to call myself a feminist, to feel comfortable with the term and what it meant to me: a world where women have equal access to education, position and decision-making roles,” she said.

Frize, whose career has spanned more than 40 years, said she wishes that her journey had been more comfortable and that there had been a more level playing field.

“However, I hope it will be easier and better for the next generation of women. But to achieve this goal we must continue, women and men together, to work together on the remaining issues.”

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