Joy and Power


In response to a question regarding what kind of support they were receiving in their career choices, most of the women appeared aware of the problems they would face once out in the workforce.

Now I just have to get the support from the employers in my career choice.

My friends are a bit worried I might not be able to defend myself: They are worried about my well-being.

I do not feel the teachers here really care what my career choices are.

Through the study I wanted to discover if any of the women had been influenced in their choices of study and training by women's organizations and by the work of feminists in support of greater equality of opportunity and access to training.

I also wanted to find out how these women felt about this support. I received a range of responses:

Freedom. Feminism frees me (women) from having to follow the traditional norm of getting married, having kids and looking after them and the husband. It allows me to choose. I can be traditional if I wish but I do not have to be. It also makes me realize that I can be a total woman without a man. I do not need men's approval in order to feel good about myself:

Women's rights - I do not know really much about it, but - anything a guy can do I can do better.

Even if these groups did not speak out I would still be doing this on my own.

Sometimes I feel they are a bit too strong or pushy and tend to anger people more than help them understand our desire to work in these fields.

I do not think these groups have done anything but talk.

In response to the question, "Have you any role models that assisted in your decision to study at the School of Natural Resources?", I received few answers. One woman said David Suzuki, another said her brother, a third said a close friend's mother.

In the final question, I asked, "Do you have anything else you would like to say on the subject of women working in non-traditional fields?" It was as if I had pushed the right button - opinions, feelings, personal stories, came pouring out. I have divided the responses included here into first, second, and third-year students.

First Year

"Feminism
frees me
from getting
married,
having kids
and looking
after them
and the
husband. It
allows me to
choose. I can
be traditional
if I wish but I
do not have
to be."

All I have to say to women who want to go into non-traditional fields is that you have to be able to handle the teasing and harassing. Once the guys see that you mean business and you know as much as they do, they begin to respect what you are doing. At first they treated me as if I were only there to get attention from them! Now that they know that is the last thing I would want they just treat me as one of the guys.

I think that teachers need to be educated regarding how to encourage equality-oriented attitudes. I have spoken to several of them during my past year here and although I initially elicited some defensive hostility in the end they all agreed with me and promised to make a better effort in the future. It is crucial that the education system reflect an equality-oriented attitude so that in the workforce, the same attitude will prevail.

I have had to supervise a male-chauvinist "pig" and it was no picnic!! Perhaps some professional development seminars would be helpful.


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