“Even though I have made it a life mission to bring awareness on these topics for women in construction, I’m still learning and practicing them myself,” Kaliszuk explained.
Ashleigh Kaliszuk, an Albertan, is a Red Seal certified mobile crane operator who has been active within the community of Skills Ontario.
Here are some tips to help women in construction to survive in the industry.
Establish boundaries:
- Set boundaries both phyiscal and emotional.
- There is a time for play and a time for work, remeber to communicate boundaries with co-workers.
- If you feel uncomfortable with words or actions being said you can estable the boundry.
Educate yourself about your rights:
- Everybody has the same working rights in every work enviroment. This includes the construction and trades industry.
- You do not need to feel like you have to fit in into the “mens world of construction.”
- Some of the biggest hurdles women face include expressing the desire for bigger opportunities, voicing concerns about co-workers, or reporting harassment.
- If any work tasks are difficult or looks unsafe, feel free to ask for assitance or talk to your supervisor.
- Be alert, stay safe.
The importance of emotional intelligence:
- Women in construction face a double standard when it comes to showing emotion in the workplace.
- Emotional intelligence refers to how you process your emotions by determining your attitude and reaction to situations that present challenges.
- Stress at work can be reduced if you slow down your reaction time and choose your responses wisely.
Build each other up:
- Another woman in the same field is not your competition, but your colleague.
- The industry is already competive let alone with females in the industry. We need to support eachother, not tear eachother down.
- Lets show the world that there is a place for women in trades!
Know when to say no and ask for help:
- On the construction site and you may have a question, always make sure to ask! Not asking could have fatal consequences.
- There can also be those who wish to intervene in your work and try to take over, even if you are professionally qualified. In this case, it is also important to know when to refuse assistance.
- Speak with confidence and politely state your case. The tone is everything in these situations.