Water industry needs more women
The Jardine Water Purification Plant on the Near North Side in 2021.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
As the world celebrates Women’s History Month, it is important to note that women are underrepresented in the water industry. A recent study by The World Bank’s Water Global Practice found that fewer than one in five workers in the water sector are women. Women are not well-represented in technical roles and trade apprenticeships. This lack of diversity reflects the industry’s overall exclusion of women.
This is a problem because women are already the primary decision-makers when it comes to water management in household. Studies have also shown that when women play a role in water management, their communities tend to have better outcomes. By increasing gender diversity in the water industry, we can improve employment and financial opportunities for women and ensure that the industry is better equipped to respond to the concerns and needs of female constituents.
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There are many ways to address the gender gap. Water service providers and utilities can implement outreach programs that provide scholarships and technical training for women in STEM and develop gender-diverse hiring panels and gender-neutral job descriptions to reduce gender bias in recruitment. Once women enter the water work force, utilities and agencies can create environments that are conducive to their female workers by providing family-friendly policies such as flexible work arrangements and mentorship opportunities.
Diversifying the water industry is not just about achieving gender parity. It is also critical in addressing present and future water challenges. As water management becomes increasingly important in an era of rapid urbanization and climate change, the industry requires an all-hands-on-deck approach from both men and women.
Chicago Women in Trades and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District are committed to providing women with equal access to information, training and employment opportunities in the water industry. They encourage women and girls to consider careers in the water industry and using available resources to make a positive difference in a field that is consistently critical to our health and safety.
Kim du Buclet, vice president, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District; Jayne Vellinga, executive director, Chicago Women in Trades
Apathy against mass shootings
It was jarring to hear U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., invoke the memory of World War II in the aftermath of the recent school shooting in Nashville.
Burchett told reporters that “criminals are going to be criminals,” likening the shooting to his father fighting against those determined to kill him in the Pacific during the war. His father claimed nothing can be done in the face of a determined shooter, he added.
Burchett’s apathy is unbelievable, stating that gun safety legislation will do nothing to reduce mass shootings. His cynicism in comparing victims of mass shootings to foot soldiers was loathsome.
My father, who served on a U.S. Navy destroyer during World War II, taught me completely different lessons.
These included the need for action when confronted by calamity, courage in the face of danger and honor in all things. And dad was an advocate for gun control.
Craig Barner, Lincoln Square