The following stories from Sierra Leone and Solomon Islands are extracts from the booklet 'Women in the Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Industry."
STORY BY HANNAH I. KAMARA - SIERRA LEONE
I enrolled in the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Department at the Government Technical Institute in 1998 and graduated in 2002. I was sent on job training at the Sierra Fishing Company from 2003 to 2004. Later I gained permanent employment as an RAC technician in this company in 2005 and have remained there.
Two people motivated me to choose a technical field. In my village I saw a Chinese lady who was working as a builder and another woman who was working as a welder, and I admired them greatly. One day I said to myself, “I can do what those ladies are doing”, and I decided to enroll for refrigeration and air-conditioning at the Government Technical Institute and I completed the course. I find that working in this field is so exciting. Nevertheless, I found it difficult during my course to get learning materials such as textbooks and practical materials.
The key challenges in my work life are sexual harassment from male supervisors and lack of tools and spare parts to carry out my work smoothly.
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STORY BY ELIZABETH JOAN BILLY - SOLOMON ISLANDS
I commenced my working career as an apprentice electrician for four different companies. I completed my apprenticeship and worked for SBS Electrical as a competent electrician, one of a few female trades in Solomon Islands.
To gain more experience, I worked for a few electrical companies before deciding to work in the RAC sector. As most electricians are required to wire air conditioning systems, I felt that I should also know how they work and was interested in the sector. To strengthen my knowledge and skills, I attended a basic RAC course with Powerit RAC (PRAC) at the National Trade Training and Testing (NTTT) building in Kukum Campus, Solomon Islands, in early 2015.
Once I had graduated, I commenced a career in the RAC sector with a small company. My roles were commissioning and installing split air conditioning systems. HKL Logistics came to Solomon Islands to assist the Australian Federal Police with the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) project. I started with them in 2015 and was given the opportunity to correctly learn the basic installation of domestic and commercial RAC appliances. They also provided extra in house training, which broadened my knowledge base relating to RAC appliances. It was a challenging role, especially with my sex, as female workers are not seen to be as competent as male workers. I did not have many opportunities to perform substantial roles, unlike other team members, and I was instructed what to do step by step, rather than allowed to use my skills. Moreover, I was always assigned as the “tool lady”, who packed up the tools at the end of the job. However, gender issues could also be seen as individual perception, as some team members did treat me equally. Following a consultation with my boss, I was assigned to work with another good team. Always remember, ladies, that whenever there is a problem, there is a solution. After a couple of years, I left this company to pursue my next career as an electrical lecturer at Solomon Islands National University (SINU).
- “My advice for all ladies who might be thinking of coming on with me on this trip is that it will be very challenging, but never give up, look ahead. Challenges will always be there to make you strong and give you more courage.”
Becoming a female trainer was another big challenge for me, as most of the office staff are men. Although most of my colleagues are kind and treated me fairly, the challenges I faced as a woman persisted, as the capacity and knowledge of a female lecturer in the electrical sector was in doubt. I had to be strong and prove that I was capable of being an electrical lecturer. Another challenge is, when delivering a lecture in class, students do not pay full attention to the lecturer. I must find ways to make the lecture attractive so that they can understand the topic and find it interesting. As a trainer, I need to be flexible and treat them fairly and with respect, but, at the same time, I have to maintain principles and restrictions.
I still do private service, maintenance, and installation work to keep my practical skills and knowledge to date regarding new technology. With my roles in the RAC sector, I was asked to be secretary of the Solomon Island Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning (SIRACS) to maintain the gender balance. I have been involved in discussions with the members and stakeholders to explore the approach to introducing licensing and legislation for the country’s RAC servicing sector and thus ensure the safe handling of refrigerants, including fake refrigerants. Refrigerants are imported from other countries and can be fake, with negative implications for the system, such as a shortened lifespan. It is essential to have a plan and work toward addressing these challenges.
My advice for all ladies who might be thinking of coming on with me on this trip is that it will be very challenging, but never give up, look ahead. Challenges will always be there to make you strong and give you more courage. If I can do it, why can’t you?
