SPE Women In Leadership 2016 - After Thoughts
First of all, I would like to clarify that I abhor the idea
of International Women’s Day. I hate the commercialism that is mainly
associated with it. Discounts on spa packages; buy one nail polish, get another
free; companies utilize this day to buy the women in their office chocolates
and flowers when instead they could promote equality and provide better rights
for their female employees, like perhaps better maternity leave options.
But a lot of good comes from it, the main thing being
dialogue.
The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) held the Women In
Leadership Symposium at Abu Dhabi, UAE on 8th and 9th
March 2016. I was lucky enough to be able to attend it for two sessions. It is
definitely the most inspiring SPE event I have been to. And one thing I am
definitely sure of: our stories are not unique. Everything I heard from the
women is the same thing I have heard from my mother who works in the oil and
gas industry as well.
For example, one of the young professionals mentioned how
when she was on the rig, her male colleagues did everything they could to make
her go back. It took her to stand her ground and prove her mettle for them to
finally accept her and even then, it was not all of them. Listening to this
woman speak (and I could hear the strain in her voice, how much she had to
endure to get to where she is today), I felt my blood boil. Women shouldn’t
have to “prove their mettle”. If they are there with you on the rig, it is
because they already have proved their worth to be there.
There was another session where women who were in really big
positions spoke about their personal journey as well and one recurring topic
was guilt – guilt at not being there enough for their children, at not being
able to take of themselves. One of the women said how her son had devoted most
of his valedictorian speech thanking her – helping her to relieve some of her
guilt.
And so, I want to do the same. I want to thank my mother,
for all that she has done for me and my sister. It is because of her, because
our parents let us, that my sister and I have grown into strong women. Everything
she has done for us, past, present and what she wants to keep doing for us
makes us want to be better. We have not reached where we are supposed to be,
but we are on our way. Of course, I would also have to thank my grandmother who
made sure that my mother and her sisters grew up to be strong women as well.
Hearing everyone speak at the SPE Women in Leadership
Symposium, remembering every hardship that my mother and other women have
faced, I want to be better. Do better. All these women are inspiring. All their
stories may be the same, but every one of these stories need to be told. Every
woman needs to be heard, in order to encourage and inspire more women out
there.
Equality starts at home. It starts with the smallest of
things. Reading books, doing chores together, encouraging your daughters, nieces
and sisters. There are women who have gone and paved the way for us, and now it
is up to us to make sure that road doesn’t gather dust.
To my mother, my grandmothers and all the women who have
done so much with so little: thank you again.
I also want to thank SPE Northern Emirates for giving me the
opportunity to attend this event. If you want to read more about this event and the speakers, please visit this link: SPE Women In Leadership Symposium 2016
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