The number of women occupying C-suite positions has been increasing globally. But another challenge remains: retaining women in that level, Billie Teshich, President of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Qatar and Managing Director of construction consulting firm OmniVision has said.
Speaking to Qatar Tribune, Teshich reiterated: “The number of women in C-suites is increasing globally, and in Qatar too. The commitment to Qatar’s National Vision 2030 is also really delivering. You can now see a lot of women in leadership positions here. That was the other thing that gave me confidence and faith that NAWIC will succeed here. Because when you have the country’s leadership and vision aligned with your course, it’s the right environment.
“However, there is still a long way to go in seeing diversity and equity among women in leadership posts globally. The other challenge is retaining women in that level. Because globally, women for different reasons and depending on the stage of their lives don’t appear to stay longer in their posts compared to their male colleagues. So, the numbers that get into the position drops for different reasons. That is a big challenge,” she added.
According to Teshich, a woman’s lifestyle is different, and women choosing to look after their families and raise their kids is completely normal.
“And in a way, it is expected that a woman as a mother will devote her time, sometimes leave a career for a certain period of time to raise a family, which is definitely a higher cause than career. For example, I have taken maternity leaves for both of my boys, but I at the time, I was not thinking of leaving the workforce until they start going to school. But some women may choose to do that, and that’s the right decision too,” she added.
Teshich said NAWIC Qatar, which is the first Middle Eastern chapter of the US-based global organization which was founded over 60 years ago, is committed to empowering women and promoting awareness on gender diversity and equitability in the workforce, particularly in the construction sector.
To date, women make up around 14 percent of construction industry professionals globally, and this number is expected to rise with more women joining construction and engineering jobs.
“There is a huge opportunity and requirement of women being involved. Generally, women tend to be the biggest self-critics for themselves. And if they say they can do something, very often they can actually do a lot more. And majority of women will make sure that they have ticked all boxes, that they have all the skills before they will undertake something. Along that process, mentorship and ‘allieship’ are very important,” she added.
NAWIC Qatar, which started in 2019, currently has over 160 members. While NAWIC, which is headquartered in Texas, USA, has developed into a global organization with thousands of international affiliates operating in the US, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, Ireland, and Qatar among others.
The platform provides a forum where women celebrate success, get advice and mentorship and collaborate on work.
“When I talk about the mentorship, we as women, our challenges are a little bit different to challenges that men will experience in the industry.
A woman mentor can give you advice in terms of maternity leave, family planning, and career path taking into consideration all other things that we as women do being mothers, wives, sisters. You can self-correct along the way. Your mentor can always point out things that you probably don’t see at the time.
“That’s where NAWIC is strong because through the events and through the engagements with members and supporters, we do have women in the industry that have been in the industry for a long time, they have progressed in their careers, they came to the top in terms of leadership. And when you are in such environment, it rubs off, it motivates people,” added Teshich.
