What steps are taken toward building an inclusive workplace, asks Claire Fallon.

A 2008 study by the Harvard Business Review identified something they called ‘the Athena Factor’. The survey showed that 41% of early career scientists and engineers are female – and that many of them chose their fields in order to contribute to the well being of society. Unfortunately, the survey also showed that over half of them – 51% – had quit their jobs due to hostile cultures and unclear paths for advancement and moved to other sectors. 

These survey results are meaningful. They tell me that women get into science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers because they want to make a difference. In other words, they are personally motivated to succeed. And many more women are choosing careers in STEM fields than in previous generations. This is great news! But more than half of them leave – discouraged by behaviours and norms that are considered acceptable by that workplace. External forces, not their own personal choices, impact how well they can perform. 

Supporting women in the workplace is about creating a culture at that workplace where everyone can succeed. It is the role of an organisation's leadership to see the problem and want to change the culture, first and foremost. Then, that organisation's leadership has to put the effort in to actually make a meaningful change. This work is not easy but it is necessary. And incidentally, if the work is done thoughtfully and with inclusivity in mind, it benefits more than just women – it benefits everybody. 

Why are women important in the workplace?

Diversity matters in every field – whether we are talking about gender, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, or any other dimension of diversity. Automation products and systems increasingly serve every industry sector and workplace, which means all sorts of people are our end users or customers. It is critical to ensure that product and system designers and engineers represent that full spectrum so that all points of view and all use cases are taken into account in the product development and implementation processes. For example, certain early biometric systems were unable to adequately differentiate among skin colours that had not been part of the testing process. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is often designed to be one size fits all, but when that one size means the average male size, that PPE may indeed be more dangerous than protective to a person with a different body type. There is also the question of where to put on PPE. Once when I worked at a nuclear facility and had to change into PPE, there was only a locker room for men available. This was not in the 1950s. This was in the 1990s. 

It is also important for young people to see individuals who look like them in their desired field. When I was a student and in my early career, there were a few women in mechanical engineering I could look up to, but not many. Today I am grateful to work alongside many successful women engineers, including a member of the ISA Executive Board, Sujata Tilak, from Ascent Intellimation in Pune. It is also incredibly important for us all to support each other in the pursuit of our interests.  I am grateful that both of my parents and others around me consistently encouraged me to follow my chosen path, even if there weren't (yet) many like me. We must all serve that role to invite and support talent from many places. You never know if you are the only encouraging voice someone might hear.

And above all, what are the steps taken toward building an inclusive workplace in your country?

As an international society, ISA members come from all over the world, including India, the United States, and over 100 more countries.

Answering for our entire membership would be challenging, since such a broad spectrum is represented. But since ISA is headquartered in the US, I can answer that the White House has a Gender Policy Council that sets national strategy and benchmarks for ensuring that all individuals have the opportunity to live up to their full potential, regardless of gender identity. In addition to that, many individual companies have made diversity, equity, and inclusion critical parts of their operation – including ISA, where ‘diversity and inclusion’ are one of our five core values.

Are we there yet as a nation? Frankly, we are not. But we get closer with each opportunity to have this conversation and to underscore the importance of a diverse workplace where everyone feels they belong. 

You can read more perspectives from women in automation engineering on our webpage for

International Women in Engineering Day, which we celebrate each year on 23 June:

https://programs.isa.org/celebrating-women-in-engineering-2023

Claire Fallon is Executive Director of the International Society of Automation (ISA), a non-profit professional association founded in 1945 to create a better world through automation. ISA develops widely used global standards; certifies professionals; provides education and training; publishes books and technical articles; hosts conferences and exhibits; and provides networking and career development programs for its members and customers around the world. Prior to joining ISA, Ms Fallon held leadership positions with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). A mechanical engineer by training, Ms Fallon has also worked as a design engineer for Bechtel and served on the board of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and appeals board for Underwriters Laboratories (UL).

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

For a deeper dive into the dynamic world of Industrial Automation and Robotic Process Automation (RPA), explore our comprehensive collection of articles and news covering cutting-edge technologies, robotics, PLC programming, SCADA systems, and the latest advancements in the Industrial Automation realm. Uncover valuable insights and stay abreast of industry trends by delving into the rest of our articles on Industrial Automation and RPA at www.industrialautomationindia.in