Second Year

I get so angry at the injustice in the system we live by. I think it will take a long time for the sexes to become equal because not only do we have to fight against the ignorance and fear of men but also against the women who do all they can to ensure that women stay second-class citizens. There will always be women who want to work in non-traditional fields just as there will always be women who feel the place they belong is at home looking after the husband and kids have found very little difficulty in being a woman in a non-traditional field. In carpentry, I have occasionally encountered men who are a bit skeptical towards my abilities, but once they see I know what I am doing, they fully accept me as a carpenter. Things are slowly getting better each year as more and more women stick it out in fields of their choice.

Third year

I think it is great if the woman is genuinely interested in the field and is not just trying to make a statement about equal rights. I think time will help women in the workplace. All of the hoop-la and complaining done by women will probably just turn the men off (not to mention other women) and probably cause the transition to go slower. Women do not want to wait for their rights, but if we keep on pushing it we may not get anywhere. I do not think a woman should get a job because she is a woman - which is something that I see happening as a way to temporarily appease the vocal women's organizations.

My pet peeve concerns the fact that in this school we are forced into practicing verbally our women's rights by competitions that develop between male and female students. I do not consider myself a "women's libber" by any means, but find myself continuously harassed by comments from my classmates to which I feel I must defend myself. I feel that the "spotlight" should be dimmed somewhat, so that we can prove ourselves in the field by our work, and not by verbal comments. I know I am capable of any job given to me and I will complete that job to the best of my ability.

In spite of the division of the responses into three groups, it can be seen that, for the most part, they indicate the same concerns. The issues do not change, even though some of the respondents have been students at the school for one or two years longer.

These women are quite aware of the barriers that exist to pursuing their education and training and to further pursuing employment in their field of choice. While at school, they are verbally harassed by peers and instructors who ridicule and resent their presence. These women are also aware of the barriers they will have to overcome once in the workforce. They are aware that someone has to be the first in order for the others following to reap the benefits, but they find the pressures and responsibilities that come with being among the first aggravating and distasteful.

But rather than resignation to accept things as they are, I found in the students strength, hope, and determination to change their future work situations so that they can be accepted as equal partners. As a third year student said: "I feel that if a woman is capable of doing the work required she should be given a chance to do so."

How can we better prepare these women to face these challenges? The faculty at the School of Natural Resources teaches them the skills of their trade, but is this their only responsibility? I do not believe so. Those of us who are working with women, training them for work in non-traditional occupations, also have the responsibility to teach them how to live in a male-dominated work world, how to deal with the negative attitudes they will encounter and how to achieve a more equal and equitable working and living situation.

Reprinted from WEdf, June 1990, Volume 8, Numer 1.

Sharon Goldberg is currently the Women's Centre Program Coordinator at the Surrey Women's Centre. She has an M.A. in Adult Education from OISE, and is the author of Women in Construction: A Report on Access, Training and Retention in the Construction Trades.