We’ve all heard the statistic that women make up 47% of the total U.S. labor force; however, the percentage of women working in industry is dramatically lower. While we still have a long way to go to close that diversity gap, more and more people are standing up and speaking out. This visibility and attention are what’s going to continue to propel women forward and get us to where we want to be.
The PHCP Pros (Professional Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and Piping) recently featured an article earlier this month about Women in PHCP; this article celebrates women breaking glass ceilings in their sector and provides insights on diversifying the industry. Putting a spotlight on women in industry is what we need for young girls to see all of the different options they have for their future.
In addition, Water Quality Products magazine published an article on mentorship and encouraging women to enter male-dominated industries. “We believe that gender equity in the water industry will lead to continued innovation and advancement while improving the lives of women globally. We also believe that as we work to include more women in all aspects of the water industry, we must work to equally represent people from many different racial and ethnic groups,” states Andrea Scarpino and Frank Brigano (https://www.wqpmag.com/marketing/other-half). This forward thinking and action are what we need to be integrating into our own corporate cultures.
There are companies that are making efforts to help young women reach their aspirations, including Sulzer’s Scholarship for Women in Science and Engineering that is aimed at helping women in South Africa, Indonesia, China and India head into STEM fields. This is an investment not only for our workforce and for technical professions, but for women as a whole.
Another shining example is PinkPetro, a Houston-based company working to close the gender gap in the energy sector. Pink Petro also works with LeanInEnergy.org, and one of the many things they do is provide annual studies on ‘Women in the Workplace’ to track how women are progressing in corporate America. Their reports give us a point of reference to see where we’re at and how far we still need to go, and also provides companies with data they can utilize to improve diversity within their own organizations.
In unity with these incredible organizations, we ask you to join us in the following ways: Highlight women in male-dominated industries. Show women they have a place here. Make diversity a goal in organizations. Consciously work toward closing the gender gap. Put systems in place to financially support (scholarships/grants), mentor, and provide women with clear paths to advancement.
This is why we’ve created Empowering Women in Industry - because it’s time to starting doing the work and being the change. Whichever organization you choose to get involved with (and it doesn’t have to be limited to one!), take action that encourages women forward in industry - and in leadership roles. We want to be a resource for professional women to use for community, support, inspiration and action; giving women the support and tools they need to climb that ladder and reach their goals. Join us at our Empowering Women’s Event in September to connect with us, to learn from us, and most importantly…to celebrate women in industry with us!
Let’s be Empowered and grow together!