Jobs for girls...

Growing up on the farm and without brothers, it simply never occurred to me that some jobs just weren't for girls. I was clearly naive. While studying mining engineering at Wollongong in NSW, I was stunned when told that women were not welcome at the local underground coal mines. In fact, I did not believe it until my first excursion when I was told to wait outside the crib room while all of my peers went in for a lunch, lest I be offended by the pictures of nude women plastered all over the crib room walls. 

At the time I accepted this treatment as just part of the workplace. I didn't mind eating my sandwiches alone under my cap light. I didn't mind always having to wear ill-fitting men’s PPE because women’s PPE simply did not exist. I didn't mind the liberal use of the c word or the fact that I could not use a toilet until well outside the mine and into the sanctuary of the admin office. In fact, I thought it was all rather exciting and went along with it in good humour.

It’s only in recent years that I look back on this sexism and gratefully acknowledge how far the industry has come. I don’t consider myself a trail blazer – greater women and men than me effected these changes, but I have spent a lot of time talking to other women in the industry about their experiences and challenges. These conversations have shaped my career and the role I am in now.