Interview of Sarita Shrestha (03/02/2012)

 

1st PART: Woman’s history comprehension/understanding

• Can you present yourself in a few words and explain us what is your job/responsibilities?

I’m currently supervising the construction of the new technical buildings which will be used by the company Nepal Telecom. I’m employed since 1994 by Nepal Telecom in its construction department, as the second manager. Now I supervise 11 sites all over Nepal, it represents 12 engineers and 20 assistant engineers.
 

• How did you come to engineering and sciences?

I was really interested by civil engineering, since the beginning. I like to go to sites and I wanted to travel a lot.
 

• Did you have to face any difficulty as a woman in your studies/in your job? Or do you think being a woman facilitated it?

I didn’t have to face any difficulty. My parents, my professors and even the students were very supportive. I had to leave my home at 11 to study in the city. 

In my year in civil engineering we were 47 boys and 3 girls. I was the second in the class. I don’t know why girls don’t choose engineering, maybe because of traditions, maybe because they were scared of civil engineering. In others engineering fields, you can find more girls. For example more girls choose Telecom, Biology, Environment, IT, but not for example electricity or mechanic…

I didn’t have to face any problem to find a job. When I’ve been hired, I was an engineer for one site first, then 2, then more. At the beginning I was more on the site and I had to do office work too. Now I go a bit less on site but I have a lot more responsibilities.
 

• How do you conciliate professional and personal life?

I don’t have any problems to conciliate that. I have on boy, he is 17. Sometimes as I’m a manager I have to stay late in the office, stay until 6 or 7 in the office. And I have to go on site, min 3 or 4 days. My son studies Hotel management. He is in the special school and stay there the nights, and we see each other monthly. My husband is electronic engineer. 

• Could you tell us professional realizations you are proud of?

When you go to the site, the people really respect you, I think because you are a girl. In my team there are only boys, just one girl architect. I’m really proud of going on the sites to manage my teams.


 

2nd PART:  General debate on woman engineer: differences and new things a woman can bring in a male team

• Do you think men and women work differently? Could you give us concrete examples (personal works, project works)?

Women are more sincere and effective in their work.  More efficient. Saying more “sincere” means that for example if you hire a girl, she will give her full time to the site. Boys may not be sincere as the girls, on the site they may involve 70 or 80 % of their time to the site, then go somewhere else. 

In terms of “efficiency”, I think women are faster than men in their work. Women are more dedicated to their work. And girls are better managers than boys; they are able to do several things at the same time. I think maybe it’s because women have to take care of the house too, so they have to organize themselves to be able to manage everything.

Talking about communication, I wouldn’t say there is difference between men and women.
 

• Do you think that gender diversity in a team is helpful for working atmosphere and/or is linked to team performance?

Yes, I think that gender diversity makes a good team. But sometimes when you go in other sites, it’s not really good, because for example men can go in any hotel whereas I have to choose a safe one.

For sure when in the team you have men and women, there is a better productivity. I wouldn’t say it’s because of different ideas between them so better brainstorming, it’s more thanks to a good ambiance so better work done. 



3rd PART:  Vidéo

• Short representation

I’m Sarita Shrestha, I’m from a remote village of Nepal, now I’m a building site manager in Nepal telecom, it’s a government owned company with almost 6000 employees.

• Which advice would you give to any young woman who hesitates to start engineering studies?

I want to tell them that it’s not really difficult to study civil engineering as a subject itself, and it’s also not difficult to do civil engineering job, I think you’ll enjoy going to the site and supervision work also, it will be really interesting.

• What has been your biggest difficulty as a women engineer?

I haven’t faced any difficulties in my 20 years of practice!

• What has been your best satisfaction as a women engineer?

I’m satisfied as a woman engineer, because people respect you as a civil engineer now in our society. It is a challenge to do civil engineering job!

• What is your next challenge?

My next challenge is coming soon, it’s a coming project: a high rise building. I have to manage the project as a whole from the planning step to the construction step.