Sunday, June 17, 2007

Another Trip

Here I am … in the middle of the unbelievable massive crowd in Kuwait airport, heading back to Jakarta. Kuwait, summer time + airport = complete chaos. Long queue in most of the gates, noise keep pondering your head like millions of bee buzzing around your ear and inside your brain.. (now I am exaggerating)

I feel so sleepy, barely can lift my eye lid and start losing my conscious. (Completely in Garfield mode) Sitting in the McCafe, try to have few pages more on “Blink” by Malcolm Galdwell. The book has been on my shelf for more than 4 months. I bought it during my hand over trip to Kuwait last January!!! I really need to work on my readings; unfinished books keep piling up beside my bed.

Emm.. What would I write… ( need to keep writing or I passed out). All right, let’s write about the Gender related workshop that my company held this morning. Lately, after successfully benefiting and nurturing diversity in nationality, the company that I work for
has decided to focus more on Gender issues. Along with the company objective to push the women ratio in the field and management up to 25% minimal, they launch this movement called “Women Connect”

We even have Gender and Diversity manager in HQ. At the first stage, this movement has been provided with Website for “Curhat” kind like a blog that anyone can post a comment, issues, concern, whatever related to being women in this company. Local committee, gathering, and various activities are to be held with full support from HQ or area management. Operation & Country Manager are being forced to support this activities and this including freeing their female employees from any work for the first gathering in Kuwait!

The attendee is being divided into two groups, women office based and field based. After 2 hours brainstorming here are the points of concern that we highlighted to Management,

Office Based Women
· Long Working Hours, Casual Leave ( i.e period leave)
· Transportation arrangement for working late
· Special parking for women in order for us not to walk far away from the office entrance cause sometimes we have worker around
· No blur glass on the Rest room door
· Formal Channel for women concern
· Re arrange the floor plan and office lay out to avoid unnecessary crowd around the cubicle and increase privacy
· Culture briefing for new comer and mentoring

Field Based Women
Separate accommodation and bathroom for women in the rig. ( now they have to share room with males, and no designated bathroom for them)
Locker and Changing room for women
Ask Manager for not mistakenly interpret ‘Cry’ as a sign of weakness instead it is merely a different way of expressing emotion for women (interesting one! specially that manager’s reply is that this point is acceptable and actually men does cry too!! Hahaha)
There’s no way that women can compete the physical capacity of men. It is to be understood that we do want equality, but bare in mind that there are differences and it is the understanding that needed. So it has to be accepted if they can’t lift that pump alone Man!
Mentoring for women related issues
That these women felt underestimated, by having commented by people that they’re making progress in their career and having grade because they’re women. That they don’t need to do extra effort to earn the chance to move up the ladder because company gives them bigger chance. Although personally I don’t see nothing wrong with it though! hahaha it’s a competitive life folks, if we can benefit from a fair privilege then why not??? Management will not give you a chance of you’re not capable. It’s just that if there are two people equally capable and it happens that you’re a woman, then you might have bigger chance. Fair enough.. hehehe

It’s interesting to compare what are the concern of office based and field based as per the above. I couldn’t help giggling when I read through office based concern which sounds less fundamental compare to the field based. And I am the one who presents the office based concern to the management and I guess I succeed to make our points sounds serious though … a little bit act and drama might help your case sometimes. hahaha



*this writing is finalized in Cengkareng aiport, early morning with nice cool breeze air from the garden (good thing you live in a dessert, you are able to appreciate more on the simple thing of South East Asia countries, i.e morning breeze). So relax… just hope that my cell won’t ring from the office

No comments: