Women have always been under-represented in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) workforce, and a 2019 report by UNESCO illustrated the true extent of this. It showed that in no part of the world, except for a few countries, do women outnumber men in the Research & Development workforce. Globally, less than 30% of those working in research fields were women.
There
can be no doubt that women are starting to represent a higher proportion of the
science and engineering workforce. However, any increases follow on from very
low starting points. According to the US Census, for example, women working in
engineering occupations increased from 3% in 1970, to 15% in 2019[1]. That same year, there were more than 6.3 million female scientists
and engineers working in the EU, accounting for 41% of total employment in
science and engineering[2].
In Asia specifically, there were
found to be key differences across the continent. A handful of countries buck
the global trend – most notably Myanmar (75.6%), Mongolia (57.5%) and Thailand
(53.2%). Others have well below the global average proportion of women working
in R&D, notably India (13.9%), Japan (16.2%) and South Korea (20.1%).
With the aim to inspire more females to choose an
engineering career, these women, working in engineering for Mettler-Toledo
Product Inspection, talk about their experiences and their driving influences. Meet Johselyn, Kristina, Ruth, Orawan, and Dipti:
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Johselyn Casillas, Applications Center Manager at
Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection US in Lutz, Florida |
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Kristina Djukic, Mechanical Engineer
Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection US in Lutz, Florida,
who is transitioning to Product Engineer/Product Manager |
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Ruth Francis, Senior Mechanical Design Engineer
Mettler-Toledo Safeline Metal Detection in Salford, UK |
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Orawan Kongsomboon, General Manager
Mettler-Toledo Thailand & Vietnam |
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Dipti Panchal, Deputy Manager, Design & Development
Mettler-Toledo India |
What or who inspired you to work in this industry?
Johselyn Casillas (JC): I was inspired by making a difference that can protect others while they enjoy the products they consume. Product inspection allows us to ensure people are safe from foreign material that can hurt them or even be life threatening.
Ruth Francis (RF): I was originally a product designer and was due to do an MSc in Industrial Design. In a 'sliding doors' moment, my lecturer told me of a new MSc course that he was creating, that was more Engineering based. He felt my skills were better suited in that area, so my career path changed.
Kristina Djukic (KD): I was first inspired to work in engineering in grade 12 – I had a great physics teacher who used to be a mechanical engineer. While in university, I was involved in a lot of projects that made me realise that I really wanted to use my engineering skills to benefit society, such as designing low-cost medical devices for countries that can't afford traditional medical equipment.
Orawan Kongsomboon (OK): My background
is finance and administration. Initially, I started my career as an external
auditor in an international audit firm, where I learnt how to analyse and
evaluate what was really going on in a business at any given time. I was always
passionate about providing more than sums and figures to senior management –
and that was to present accurate business analysis. This experience has brought
me to the senior position of General Manager.
I joined Mettler-Toledo as its vision and
structure inspired me to believe that the company will invest in innovations
that provide the best solutions for related market segments. Plus, I thought it
would be fun working with a proactive company. As time has passed, I’ve not
been proven wrong.
Dipti Panchal (DP): I started my career in design and
product testing, before becoming an electronics engineer. At Mettler-Toledo, I
have been able to use my technical, leadership and interpersonal skills to benefit the organisation. For example, I worked on the embedded firmware for
the retail weighing scale for the Indian market. Today, I am now responsible
for the development of customised software across products and business units.
Have you faced any barriers within your career? If so, what were they and how did you overcome them?
JC: Yes, being a female in this industry can be difficult but not impossible. It takes double the effort to prove yourself to others, especially when you are young, trying to explain to people that what they have been doing for years may be wrong. Once you do prove yourself you do earn their respect and that is awesome.
RF: Before Safeline, I spent a long time in the same role with one company, hoping that someone would give me the opportunity to rise up the ladder. That opportunity was never given to me, but I knew what I was capable of and after ten years, I decided to find somewhere that would recognise my abilities. Here I am at Safeline, and they have given me a chance to shine and develop. Sometimes the only way to move past an obstacle is to take a big risk and step outside of your comfort zone. If you know your self-worth, you will succeed.
OK: I only experienced career
barriers during the first year of working which occurred if a discussion with a
client required some in-depth technical knowledge. At the time, it made me feel
a little left out. However, since then, I have developed my understanding of
application concepts and market needs in order to join in with the conversation
and speak with depth about subjects. More importantly, I have realised that I don’t
necessarily need to know all of the technical terms in depth to understand how the
technology can be applied to benefit customers. Now, I leave it to our experts to
discuss the technical terms in depth – that’s what they are good at.
DP: Initially my lack of knowledge of
programming languages seemed to be a barrier. However, I overcame this by learning
those languages.
Do you have any role models?
JC: My parents are my role models. My mom is from Panama. To me, she was the best, most hard working, artistic, talented but humble seamstress in Puerto Rico where I grew up. She taught me to aim to be the best in anything I did. She is the definition of service and humbleness. My dad, Army retired, was my hero. He showed me to give openly to those in need, even if you were down to your last dollar. These values are my foundation and will be with me forever.
RF: Maya Angelou – she was a civil rights activist in America, as well as a poet and writer. What I liked most about her was that she was a fantastic public speaker. She really caught your attention and inspired you. She had the power to change people purely by the way that she spoke.
KD: My role models are definitely my parents. In the 1990s they fled from the former Yugoslavia to escape the war. Eventually they moved to Canada with my sister and myself. They did this all on their own with minimal knowledge of the language, so that they could create a better life for our family. I often think about the sacrifices they made and am motivated to work hard, stay true to my values, and keep chasing my goals – all traits and values I try to bring to work with me every day.
OK: My
previous CEO, Olivier Filliol (former President and CEO of Mettler-Toledo
Holding Inc.) has been a role model for me. He taught me to constantly strive to
improve things in pursuit of perfection.
DP: My father, for his perseverance and ‘never-say-die’ attitude to
life.
What is your dream for the next 5-10 years?
JC: I want to create an App Centre Dream Team and World Class Centre that inspires not only Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection but other divisions to strive to be the best.
RF: My main aim at the moment is to be a Team Leader. I am in the process of developing my career plan with my manager, but I know I want to leave a legacy within the company and feel like I have made significant changes that will last.
KD: I know I would like to be involved in work that I feel passionate about, where I am making a difference and helping society.
OK: I would like to be recognised as the leader of
an organisation where financial performance is strong, employees are engaged in
our success, and young people choose to stay and further their careers.
DP: My dream is to lead a high-performance design
team that is recognised for its agility and ability to perfectly meet customer demands.
If you could give the 18-year-old you one piece of advice, what would it be?
JC: Always follow your dreams, and surround yourself with empowered, positive people that will push you always to do your best and continue growing in life.
RF: Be patient and don't worry so much!
KD: Get comfortable with stepping outside your comfort zone. To truly grow and develop you have to be able to put yourself in situations where you may not feel fully comfortable or confident, and where there will likely be a lot of unknowns, but these are the experiences where you will grow, learn about yourself, and develop.
OK: Work hard
on what you have a passion for, but don't be too hard on yourself. Life is a
journey: learn from it, appreciate the good things, accept the bad things, and
then move on. Be adaptable in chasing your goals – if things change over time,
don’t see it as failure, see it as a new goal to pursue.
DP: Invest time in learning new skills
on a regular basis. Having an enquiring mind is a key requirement.
What
would you recommend to a company that is looking to hire more women?
OK: I think you should have a mindset that you are hiring more women because you value the strengths
that women bring to a company, such as interpersonal skills, teamwork,
creativity, and multi tasking. In the long term, this will add increased value
to the company. It shouldn’t just be about hitting diversity targets.
DP: Make it policy:
mandate that a minimum proportion of people recruited must be women.
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