Presented By Ing . Mrs. Rita Ohene Sarfoh

1. PROMOTING WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION AND BRIDGING GENDER GAPS IN THE PROFESSIONS AND PUBLIC LIFE – ACHIEVEMENTS, RELEVANCE AND PROSPECTS: A CIVIL ENGINEER’S PERSPECTIVE Presented By Ing. Mrs. Rita Ohene Sarfoh

2. OUTLINE • INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND • ACHIEVEMENTS? • JOB PERFORMANCE & CAREER DEVELOPMENT • RELEVANCE OF GENDER MAINSTREAMING • BEYOND SOCIAL JUSTICE, GENDER MAINSTREAMING RATIONALE • TRACTION FOR GENDER MAINSTREAMING • CONCLUSION

3. INTRODUCTION • Addressing the issue of “traction” in gender mainstreaming • Reflexive experience sharing encounter • Reviewing & deepening the lessons of past GM actions • Benchmarking the GM outputs • Framing guidelines for future GM activities

4. INTRODUCTION (2) • CE profession and the challenges for women practitioners • Male-dominated • Emphasis on personal experience and observations • Constrained narrative due to lack of comparable reference

5. BACKGROUND • Work • Ghana Highway Authority • Largest single employer of civil engineering professionals in Ghana • Long existence with track record on staff relations and deep-rooted organizational culture • Personal • Employed with GHA for 16 years, Principal Engineer and Manager for Environmental Unit, • Council member of Ghana Institution of Engineers • President, Women in Engineering (WINE) • Married with children

6. ACHIEVEMENTS • Mixed results in GM in CE • Improving enrolment base (KNUST CE Dept) • from 1:35 or 2.8% in 1990 to 17:148 or 11.4% in 2010 • Critically short numbers especially high up the career ladder • No Director, 1 Principal Eng., 2 Senior Eng., 2 Eng., 3 Assist. Eng., • 0 Tech. Eng., 1 Tech. Eng., 2 Assist. Eng. • Academic qualifications • 0 PhD; 1 Masters level; 7 Bachelors; 3 HND • Professional standing • No Fellow; 1 Sen. Member; 5 Member; 2 Graduate Member; 3 Assoc. Member

7. ACHIEVEMENTS (2) • In November 1994, only 1 Female Engineer, • Notwithstanding improvements since 1994, men : women = 121:11 (less than 10%) • Posting to perceived “soft “ sectors • Preponderance women engineers in Planning Division • Increasing interest in placing women engineers in Environment and Road Safety • No woman placed on projects to date (except Accra) • Excuse of conflict between “full time” demands and women roles

8. ACHIEVEMENTS (3) • Site constraints • Relocation to other Regions • Facilities • Security • Arditi and Balci (2009), in project management positions, women = men • Women bring added value of “sensitivity,” “costumer focus,” and “authority and presence.”  Success of GHA projects being potentially retarded by lack of women project managers

9. PERFORMANCE & CAREER DEVELOPMENT • Factors for assessing job performance • Clarity of job description and role definition of engineers • Expectations & Attitudes towards Females • Conditions of service • Career development • Opportunities • Constraints

10. PERFORMANCE & CAREER DEVELOPMENT (2) • Job description / role definition • No distinctions made between men & women engineers • Intention to curtail women placement outside of Accra • Expectations and Attitudes • Patronizing attitude of peers and seniors • Ridicule of career development initiatives • Issues of acceptance of capacity • “I cannot allow my wife to work as you do” • “You this small girl...... • How can a woman be travelling all the time” • Lack of respect to women in spite of seniority.

11. PERFORMANCE & CAREER DEVELOPMENT (3) • Opportunities for capacity building and career growth higher for women at the early stages of engineering career • Men focusing on “financial stability” and thus giving women better prospects for access to financial and technical support • Example: B.Sc. (1993), M.Sc. (2001) MPH (2006); MGhIE (2001) • Most male contemporaries finished Masters post-2006 and GhIE membership post-2005 • Social constraints imposed on career growth plans • Marriage and Childbirth • Generally my performance is at par and even better

12. RELEVANCE OF GM • Relevant and affirmative action required in CE profession because • Presently, the normative gender roles are based on psychological rationale and not based on individual merit • High incidence of gender disparity in civil engineering profession, especially in GHA • “Glass ceiling” still in place. No Female Technical Director in MRH and Agencies

13. RATIONALE FOR GM POST-SOCIAL JUSTICE • Work place diversity • Sustainable organisational and sectoral development • Appreciation of diversified client needs (different users with different needs) • Example of DANIDA assistance to Konongo-Ejisu road side vendors

14. TRACTION FOR GM • Continuous public sensitization and advocacy • Short courses on staff relations • Matrix or task team approach therefore compelling gender mix • Public interest law and rights based approach • Affirmative action especially for rural and urban poor and female groups • Constitutional / legislative reviews

15. Conclusion • Gender Inequality is a reality in CE in Ghana • Enrolment and Output ≠ Practice • Mentoring in Educational and Practitioner levels • Women professionals as guest speakers to serve as role models • Do not Perceive as a woman but Crave to perform

16. THANK YOU