Gender Equality

When I was a well testing engineer, I was the second female engineer in a team of a dozen men. The first female engineer then, was only too happy to welcome me. It was tough at first, being one of the only females on the team. Opportunities skated by us because most countries didn't accept female engineers onboard their rigs. So, we were limited to domestic operations. Communication with guys, were mostly problematic. Partly because they spoke so fast, and mechanically, that we never quite catch up to what they wished to convey to us. Some of them didn't even talk to us, much less bat an eyelid, when we joined. Some talked down to us, while some just treated us like irritating little ants who would, presumably, be gone in a matter of months. 

There are,  on rare occasion, some who take the time to guide us and teach us patiently, and provide every little opportunity now and then to allow us to design, guide, supervise, interpret and analyze the data. It was all part of working life. The pros and cons. 

When I confided my concerns to a well-travelled male colleague, he cited an instance of a German female engineer who carried a 136 pound formation tester tool (equivalent to 61kg in SI units) on her own shoulders. As she walked, the men at the supply base dropped whatever they were doing, and stared as she strode across the yard. Some of them couldn't even lift the same tool on their own. 

Yes. As humans, we adapt to any situation the best we can. As females, we have a tendency to express our dissatisfaction whenever we gather together. Looking back, it was tough. But it certainly taught us to stand up and be proud of our profession, be confident in our work, and strive even harder to catch up with the seniors and the guys. 

I was only too glad when the opportunity came to move out of the team and be a reservoir engineer. Here, the ratio of females to males increased. But I realized that in the higher management level, males still outnumbered the females. But of course, that's besides the point. 

Before I attended the workshop, I thought this type of gender disparity only existed in my current organization. Silly me. The workshop proved otherwise. Out of 66 participants, only a handful were females (maybe less than 10). Amongst the men, we felt like fish out of water. Half of us felt like going back into the sea, half of us felt like swimming up to the surface, to check out the atmosphere. Anyhow, years of experience have taught us to stick with our guts, go with the flow and see what the tide brings us. 

Then, I found out that my company isn't so bad after all, because women constituted about 30-40% of the overall workforce. In the engineering department of other countries, Saudi Arabia for example, only 1% of the workforce are women. When I heard that, I immediately took off my imaginary hat to salute these brave women. They are the frontiers of lady engineers in their country, inspiring others to do the same, giving them hope that they too can achieve this seemingly far-fetched dream. They are the ones who set the benchmark for future female engineers. 

Perhaps, in a decade or two, gender disparity will be significantly reduced, as education opportunities are  increasingly being opened to women. Achieving gender equality in our field is unfathomable to me, at least for now. In the meantime, on my part, I'll make it my mission to dedicate my life to learn more about this exciting field of petroleum engineering.