It is widely recognised that the offshore industry remains largely dominated by men. Which makes it more crucial than ever, this International Women’s Day, to honour and celebrate the women who contribute to and represent the industry. While putting together this article, there was only a handful of women to speak with, which itself speaks volumes. However, the voices of these women are powerful, confident and invaluable.
‘It’s about advocating for equal opportunities, recognising women’s contributions and inspiring more women to pursue careers in this field.’ Molly Heaver.
We asked our female contractors, and in-house staff, for their views on the offshore energy industry, what their role means to them, how inclusive they felt it was and finally what it meant to them to represent women in the industry. So, is the field adapting and accepting of change?
The overall responses were hugely positive, the strong narrative was focused-on careers and growth rather than inequality or disparity.
Perhaps some previously conceived barriers appear to be lifting. Giorgia Wollner (Senior Hydrographic Surveyor) says ‘I have the feeling that the industry has improved in the level of collaboration and tolerance, in general’. Giorgia continued to say; ‘it does not matter the gender as long as you are professional, knowledgeable and able to prove your point.’ Malgorzata Radlowska (Marine Mammals Observer) echoed this point; ‘problems at work do not result from gender differences but from the wrong approach to work.’
‘From my experience I can see that there are more and more women in the sector. Although sometimes I am the only woman in the crew.’ Malgorzata Radlowska.
But whilst it seems positive and improved, there is clearly that gap in the ratio of men to women. What women do bring is a ‘different perspective’ (Molly Heaver). This is a sentiment reiterated in everyone’s responses when asked what it means to represent women in offshore energy. Whilst all jobs are done with a lot of passion, it’s the differences in the in-between that improves the environment in which people work. Having women in the team offshore and in the office is described as ‘supportive’, ‘homely’, ‘lighter’ and ‘sweeter’. Fernanda de Felipe (Oceanographer) expresses her gratitude to her female colleagues for making her ‘feel stronger, maybe they don’t even notice it, but they make me feel at home and embraced when offshore.’ Lauren Nichol (Client Manager) notes that with this approach, ‘we have the opportunity to create an impact in a male dominated industry.’
Women in this industry may be underrepresented, but they are not underappreciated or undervalued and that is to be celebrated. So perhaps whilst equality in numbers hasn’t been met, the equality in value is more visible. Ultimately everyone is in it for the same purpose; ‘I had the feeling I could do something useful’ (Giorgia). Fernanda adds; ‘just remember that you need to be strong, build boundaries and believe in yourself.’ All in all, ‘whilst we have strong women riding on the shoulders of even stronger women, we will thrive’ (Kay Jefferies, Marketing Executive).
‘The opportunity of meeting different people with completely different backgrounds and the fact we are doing our best in protecting the environment’ Fernanda Pereira de Felipe.
A common answer to ‘what is the best bit of your job’ question was the places. But above that, it was the people you meet. Fernanda loves the ‘opportunity of meeting different people with completely different backgrounds’, which is also why all our operations team members do the job they do. Getting to speak to ‘people all over the world’ (Libby Colonna, Client Manager) and working with ‘various personalities’ (Jess Kelly, Talent Acquisition Manager) contributes to job satisfaction. But bringing it back to our celebration of IWD, Fernanda puts it perfectly: ‘I’ve met amazing women in the offshore industry, different cultures and backgrounds but they always give me the lightness I need when I’m there. We help and back up each other in a very genuine way.’
The fantastic women who work with and for us have a lot of passion and praise for the industry, including the other women in it and ultimately the role they chose. This IWD we celebrate the acceptance of change, the confidence of the pioneering women in their offshore roles and we campaign to see continued growth of women offshore.
Thank you
Finally, the last question posed to our colleagues was ‘who would you shout out this IWD’. Here are some of the responses in their entirety.
Fernanda; ‘I would like to thank all the female colleagues I’ve worked with, as they make life offshore lighter and sweeter.’
Giorgia; ‘I would say any person that supported and believed in me, that gave me the chance to prove myself, beyond gender. In particular, I would like to thank Ross Taylor when he was my Department Manager – he pushed me a lot and with him I learned tons and Dave Cullen because he believed me and he really offered me an opportunity.’
Malgorzata: ‘Finally, I would like to warmly greet women working in the offshore industry and wish you good luck. Do not be afraid of new challenges, you will definitely cope with it. Power is a woman!’
Molly; ‘I’d love to shout out to my mum on this IWD for doing an incredible job raising three strong and resilient daughters. She inspires me every day and has always pushed me to reach for more and achieve things I never thought I could.’
Jess: ‘Shout to my amazing 7-year-old daughter who’s already showing what it means to be true to yourself! She knows what she wants and goes for it with confidence – so proud of the incredible young woman she’s becoming!’.
Kay: ‘I celebrate IWD with my fierce friends who pursue the careers and lives they want, no barriers too high. And I champion equality for women so that my little girl never has to consider her options based on her gender; I hope every choice gets to be entirely her own.’
What we do, say and act on today, is important tomorrow. #AccelerateAction #IWD
