NATASHA ABBAS
Director of Projects, North 51 Consulting
18 years in the field
I don’t see it as a women v s men in the industry. We need to acknowledge people’s personalities and gender, which is a common misconception in the industry. Whilst it is not a women vs men, it is more about a clash of personalities, which is often confused and assumed to be the gender factor! I have seen a massive growth in the number of women in construction over the past two decades, with more women joining the forces, be it on construction sites or in the design and consultancy domain. It is not harder being in this field as a female, as it adds to the dynamics of a single gender project delivery team. Women bring an alternative perspective to design, engineering, creativity and construction, which renders itself to a balanced male/female project delivery team
The biggest stressors and challenges that you face?
I have not faced any setbacks or challenges because I am a woman. It’s akin to being part of any new team and presenting one’s knowledge and expertise in an unbiased manner. Acknowledging the opposite gender’s expertise whilst being open and receptive to suggestions and recommendations is important. Maintaining mutual professional respect aides in diffusing any underlying gender divide in a team
Is it the culture that prevents women from entering this field? How can we change that?
Following graduation from the University of Leeds, I started as a Highways Engineer. There was a big push at the time to promote engineering to female students at high school. I was a Construction Ambassador visiting schools and sixth form colleges in Leeds, and being a female in engineering, I was a role model to young women who may have had reservations of taking up engineering as a vocation. Creating an awareness amongst school and college students of the various fields in construction that females could join, is perhaps a starting point here in the UAE.
Any personal experience or a memory you would like to share?
Site visits are my favourite part of the job ever since I started my career. You get to see a project come to fruition from paper and models to an actual built asset. I have an uplifting memory on every project I have ever been involved in when I see the asset being occupied and used, be it a motorway, a scientific police laboratory, hotel, school, restaurant, cinema and malls. It’s a sense of achievement charting my contribution to a city’s built environment, which has followed me from the UK to South East Asia and the UAE.
If you were to share one commitment to the growth and support of diversity and gender equality within the field of construction, what would you be able to offer?
I am a mentor to females in construction in the UK. Seeing my mentees grow, flourish and climb up the career ladder is hugely rewarding and something I take great personal pride in. As a commitment to growing and supporting diversity and gender equality within the field of construction, it is important to equip women with support and the right technical skill set in shattering the ‘glass ceiling’. This also applies to young women who shouldn’t have to slow down their ambition because of young families, and juggling a home and work life balance. It all starts at the grassroots level. I would be delighted to be part of a scheme that provides young women in the UAE insight into the various disciplines one could pursue to a fulfilling career in the dynamic built environment.
