March is known to be an international women’s month, we sat down with one of our members who is an engineer to chat about women’s careers in the Energy sector.

Tell us about Pauline, who’s she? What do you do?

DUSABEMARIYA Pauline is a woman working for the private company MUNYAX Eco which provides solar energy products and services in the technical Department, I have a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering with 10 years of experience in the energy sector.

What motivates you to pursue this career?

I was interested in the energy sector, even if people have told me that women could not succeed in engineering courses, I was determined to prove to society that women are capable of studying engineering courses as well as working successfully in the energy sector.

It is usually known as a male dominating domain, what are the existing challenges as a woman in this field?

The mindset of some people that women are not made for the technical fields, even if they are competent than men.

How do you handle them?

I work hard so that people can be convinced by the excellent work done and actions.

How do you see women thriving/climbing the ladder in this domain in the next 5 years now??

Right now we are fighting to show society that women are capable, and I hope that in five years, people’s mindsets will be changed due to the great work that women currently in the sector are doing.

Do you think it’s easy for women in male dominating fields to be promoted? If No? Try to outline any reasons behind it.

Yes, it is very possible with the hard-working spirit, because excellent work is the key factor to be promoted.

What advice can you give young women who wish to pursue or join this domain?

My advice will be for them to take courage and work hard because they are capable to succeed in this domain as their male colleagues.

What do you think private sector companies especially in Energy can do to improve the number of women employees?

– To give women the opportunity to get experience in the sector by offering them professional training so that they can be competent on the market.

– To create a safe environment for women to feel welcomed in the sector.

– Establish company policies that encourage women to apply and to be considered in the recruitment process.