High Level International Roundtable for
Women in Leadership Roles in Science & Technology
– Getting There
Women in Leadership Role in
Technology Related Professions
By : Datuk Ir. Rosaline Ganendra
4th September 2012
INTRODUCTION
-Transforming Economy equals to Greater Leadership–
1. Leadership needs to be more robust and diverse
2. Leadership should be not only be effective but
practical as well.
3. Women
playing
major
role
in
Leadership
transformation
4. Nation to embark on Women Transformation
Economic Programme (WTEP)
5. Greater participation of Women in Leadership
economy should be taken to Greater Heights
Statistics on Women
SET
1 Institute Of Engineers Malaysia
2 Board Of Engineers Malaysia
3 Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia
4 Akedemi Sains Malaysia
5
Institute Surveyor Malaysia
6
Malaysian Institute of Planner’s
IEM REGISTERED ENGINEER’S
10.23%
0.05%
0.32%
0.84%
1.28%
2.5%
13.89%
16.4%
18.28%
5.54%
Source : IEM
BEM REGISTERED ENGINEER’S
15.2%
10.1%
0.11%
0.26%
0.63%
5.89%
15.3%
15.9%
11.6%
6.94%
Source : BEM
STATISTICS
Table 1
Historical Statistics & Trends of Women Engineers in Malaysia
Comparison Between BEM and IEM
IEM
YEAR
TOTAL LADY
TOTAL
ENGINEERS
MEMBERS
MEMBERS
BEM
GRADE
%
F
M
G
S
A
TOTAL LADY
TOTAL
REGISTERED
REGISTERED
ENGINEERS
%
1980
3,431
2
0.05
-
1
1
-
-
8,929
10
0.11
1985
6,951
22
0.32
-
13
9
-
-
8,994
23
0.26
1990
10,137
85
0.84
1
52
28
4
-
9,198
58
0.63
1995
13,164
168
1.28
-
93
63
12
-
26,159
1,540
5.89
2000
14,866
372
2.50
4
172
153
42
1
35,581
2,478
6.94
2005
15,154
839
5.54
5
240
446
147
1
49,842
5,031
10.1
2007
15,086
1,544
10.23
6
269
634
634
1
56,950
6,609
11.6
2009
19,330
2,685
13.89
8
373
805 1497
0
58,976
8,967
15.2
2010
24,764
4,071
16.40
9
420 1102 2537
3
67,487
10,296
15.3
2011
44,922
8,216
18.28
9
522 1686 5993
2
71,520
11,400
15.9
Source : IEM / BEM
STATISTICS
Table 2 : Statistics of Women Architect, Planners, Surveyor’s
and Scientist in Malaysia
TOTAL MEMBERS
TOTAL FEMALE
MEMBERS
%
ENGINEERS
44922
8216
18.28
ARCHITECT
3536
896
25.3
PLANNERS
1884
863
45.8
4928
1510
30.64
225
34
15
QUANTITY
SURVEYORS
ACADEMY OF
SCIENCES
STATISTICS
Table 3 : Statistics of Women Architect, Planners, Surveyor’s
and Scientist in Malaysia
45000
40000
35000
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
18.28%
25.3%
45.8%
30.64%
0
Engineers Architects Planners
Member's
Quantity Academy
Surveyor's
of
Sciences
Female Members
15%
STATISTICS
Table 4 : Statistics of Academy of Sciences in Malaysia
Male (Living)
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
No of
appointed
Fellows
34
5
6
6
7
4
7
12
14
2
7
12
7
9
14
10
16
19
Female (Living)
Total
%
34
39
45
51
58
62
69
81
95
97
104
116
123
132
146
156
172
191
97.14
97.50
97.83
98.08
93.55
93.94
93.24
94.19
91.35
91.51
92.04
91.34
89.78
87.42
86.39
85.25
85.57
84.89
No of
appointed
Fellows
1
0
0
0
3
0
1
0
4
0
0
2
3
5
4
4
2
5
Total
%
1
1
1
1
4
4
5
5
9
9
9
11
14
19
23
27
29
34
2.86
2.50
2.17
1.92
6.45
6.06
6.76
5.81
8.65
8.49
7.96
8.66
10.22
12.58
13.61
14.75
14.43
15.11
Source : ASM
The Problems &
Solutions
1 The Problem
2 The Issue’s
3 Obstacles To Career Progression
4 Initiatives, Achievement and Successes
5 The Corporate Game
6 Playing the Game
7 The statistics of Ministries, Govt. Agencies & GLC’s
8 Women Transformation Economy Program
9 The Future
THE PROBLEMS
11
LACK OF WOMEN IN SENIOR POSITIONS
In 2010, women in Australia comprised 53% of all professionals, and
45% of the Australian workforce, but in the top 200 Australian listed
companies (“ASX200”), women comprised only:
•
10% of executive managers
companies)
• 3% of chief executives
• 8% of board directors, and
• 3% of “Chairman”
(Source from EOWA, 2011)
(and
2
LACK OF WOMEN IN SET
3
PAY GAPS
8%
across
all
listed
THE ISSUES
DISCRIMINATION
&
HARASSMENT
LOW SELF
CONFIDENCE
LACK OF
INSTITUTIONAL
/ ORGANIZATIONAL
SUPPORT
FAMILY
RESPONSIBILITY
&
PREGNANCY
HIRING PRACTICES
& WORKPLACE
CLIMATE
WORKPLACE
CULTURE
&
SATISFACTION
WORK LIFE
BALANCES
LACKING OF
TRAINING &
MENTORSHIP
FEWER
OPPURTUNITIES
& REWARDS
OBSTACLES TO CAREER PROGRESSION
Women face more opposition in leadership roles than men
Women leave the SET profession at a higher rate than men
continues to emerge.
Female SET have to work harder to get ahead in the workplace.
No pay parity between women and men in SET for similar work.
Women get paid less.
Some men do not feel comfortable with having to report to
women.
An assertive woman is perceived to be strong – willed while a man
is expected to be assertive.
Negative stereotyping/mindset Women holdback their true
abilities and commitment to engineering as they feel they do not
get included in mentorship programmes and training
Household responsibility are the main reason women layback in
Career Progression i.e. Children & Family plans.
WOMEN SET IN MALAYSIA
Career Satisfaction for SET
Very
Satisfied
Satisfied
Neutral
Scale : +2=Very Satisfied; + 1 = Satisfied; 0 = Neutral; -1= Dissatisfied; -2 = Very Dissatisfied
WOMEN SET IN MALAYSIA
Percentage of SET Who Feel they Are Part
of Management
Source : BEM
INITIATIVES, ACHIEVEMENT AND SUCCESSES
 Organization leadership - Start with yourself to place
diversity firmly
 Some Companies has made a serious commitment to
encourage diversity & equality in the business establishment funded employee led initiative that
identifies, recommends & reviews opportunities
 Through the EOWA Employer if Choice for Women goal,
some companies has supported instigating a number of
reporting measurement globally. Stronger supports in
implementing bullying & harassments training, presently
mandatory in Australia.
INITIATIVES, ACHIEVEMENT AND SUCCESSES
 Implementing a mentoring program - Female staff; Not aligned
to usual talent management process, in the past excluded many
females.
 Encouraging women in the business to network both internally
& externally.
 Lunchtime “Skills Sessions” organised & open to all staff (male
& female).
 Regular internal pulse surveys of female staff – To gauge what
issues are important to them, which assists in driving the
business plan, etc.
 Sponsorship for pursuing leadership courses & seminars for
women.
 Regular client events specifically focussed on female clients
(E.g. boardroom lunches, cocktail events & panel discussions)
 Open & transparent recruitment policy - All leadership roles in
the organisation are advertised internally, with a diverse
interview panel that includes female members.
INITIATIVES, ACHIEVEMENT AND SUCCESSES
 Striving for gender pay equity - analysing annual salary
reviews by gender.
 There have been many initiatives to recruit and retain
women in Engineering (E.g. Environmental Engineering)
 Provision already available in some organizations
•
Part time work options
•
Opportunities to work from home
•
Women only social events
•
Family Priority benefits such as flexible working
hours, unpaid leave, careers leave, and paid maternity
leave
NCE SURVEY
Which of the following traits do you still feel to be true for women within your
industry sector?
Source : New Civil Engineer (NCE) 05.06.08
NCE THE IRONY
Which of the following traits do you specifically associate with women in business ?
Source : New Civil Engineer (NCE) 05.06.08
THE CORPORATE GAME

Recognizing the Game






The Rules : Written and Unwritten






What are the rules of the game
Who are the people with power (official and unofficial)
What are all the relevant relationships
Which men are sexist or uncomfortable with women, and
Who is likely to be promoted by management?
Network and build relationships within and outside the
organisation
Find ways to become visible
Play politics and lobby for yourself and your work
Communicate effectively and ask for lots of feedback
Perform well, produce results.
Power
PLAYING THE GAME














Decide the organisation’s unwritten rules (and write them down)
Be fun at work (i.e. develop your attraction power)
Work hard and keep learning
Make the most of your professional institution (e.g. Engineers Australia) and
continuing professional development training (i.e. increase your expert power)
Improve your leadership skills by increasing your emotional intelligence
Try to understand how your organisation rewards its staff, i.e. understand the
management culture
Develop internal and external professional contacts to assist your organisation and
personal contacts to assist your career
Create opportunities to show your manager and senior management that you are:
 Conscientious, responsible and respectful
 Trying to make the organisation more successful
 Creative (both technically and commercially)
 Confident and ambitious
 Uncomplicated as a person, i.e. low maintenance for your management
Don't accept bullying, harassment or discrimination, i.e. make your position clear
Ask for coaching or mentoring from internal or external people
Read self-improvement and management literature
Raise your visibility in the organisation by taking on new roles internally or
Externally, i.e. be proactive rather than reactive, and
Regularly plan your career: what do you want to be doing in 10, 5 and therefore 2
years time? Keep a written record of your plans.
Malaysian Ministry Statistics
Secretary General & Deputy
Secretary General
7
Ministers & Deputy Minister’s
13
6
Based on list of ministries
STATISTICS
Participation of Women in ISTIC governing Bodies
Based on ISTIC governing body members
STATISTICS
Participation of Women in Government Link Companies and Agencies
Based on top GLC’s in Malaysia
Based on top Agencies in Malaysia
CREATING THE WOMEN
LEADERSHIP ROADMAP

To increase Women participation to 30% in Management
& Decision Making levels by year 2015

To increase Women contribution in SET equally

To create an ‘ICON’ for women -' Built by Women for
Women’
WOMEN TRANSFORMATION
ECONOMY PROGRAMME
 To provide specialized programmes for Women in Leadership &
Management skills
 To increase the participation of Women Capital in Corporate,
Ministries, Government Agencies and Government linked
companies
 To provide grants and incentives for private sector with
shareholders & directorship comprising 30% or more
 To have include Women in Technology driven companies at
Management/Decision making Levels
 To create agency lead by Women to monitor, track & spur head
the Women driven economy
THE FUTURE
 Due to the equal opportunity in education for both
genders, the enrolment of female students in engineering
studies has increased in recent years.
 Female students enrolled in engineering courses has
risen from merely 5% in 1981 to 30% in 1999 and about
50% in 2010.
 Females graduating from engineering courses has risen
from 3% in 1981 to 28% in 1991 and about 50% in 2010.
 The number of women engineers registered under IEM
has higher increase in percentage from 0.05% in 1980 to
18.28% in 2011 compared to women engineers registered
under BEM 0.11% in 1980 to 15.9% in 2011
Thank you