Monday, January 26, 2009

Reality Check


crinoid.
Today, I made it through my entire work day without speaking to another woman. I talked to contractors, local regulators, and project managers, not one of them a woman. This is not unusual for me. When I do talk to another woman at work she's usually someones secretary. Or a receptionist.
I am neither imagining nor exaggerating this. Of the 1228 professional geologists currently licensed by Oregon, 156 are women.
I'm not sure what I think about this. Generally, the guys are bigger than me, which means they carry heavy things more easily, lift things higher, have more leverage, and don't seem to get as cold as I do. But I get the job job done, as do the other 12.7% of the workforce made up of women. As far as I can tell, the only reason being a girl impedes my ability to do my job is because of the way I'm perceived, and consequently treated, by the men I work with.

1 comment:

  1. i actually know another geologist- a girl geologist! she's in the SF area.
    my field is so dominated by women, i always get excited when we hire guys cos it helps mix things up. i can't imagine working ONLY with guys though.

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