In 2023, Traxtion unveiled the “The Future Of Rail Is Women Campaign” which garnered substantial attention across the South African rail industry. This campaign aims to foster awareness and education about the rail sector, highlighting the opportunities it presents. Its ultimate goal is to challenge the misconception that rail and transport are exclusively male domains, thereby encouraging more women to join this vibrant sector.
Nnoni Mokgethi, the Brand, Communications, and Marketing Manager for Traxtion, has entrusted me with a significant responsibility. In addition to publishing a series of articles from women in the rail sector in Railways Africa Magazine, she has also invited me to contribute to her campaign as one of her campaign columnists, leading up to their next event.
Her guiding principles for content contributions aimed to emphasise personal journeys highlighting barriers to women’s participation, leadership roles in rail, the envisioning of a future dominated by women in this sector, the importance of female leadership, and organisational efforts to address gender imbalances, I find myself contemplating a broader horizon.
I believe passionately that women, irrespective of their global location, should have unfettered access to pursue any career. This conviction extends beyond mere advocacy for equal rights; it is a call for universal access to education and opportunities that empower women to choose their paths in life and even change their minds a few times along the way.
The right to choose and have access to the means to reach one’s goals is key, from being an astrophysicist to choosing to be a stay-at-home mum, or a stay-at-home working mum, like me, because why can’t we have it all… My stance is rooted in the belief that equality transcends mere numerical parity between genders in any field.
However, having said that my somewhat biased opinion of the rail sector means that I see an industry not only abundant with opportunities for women but also one of the most exciting industries at the moment, all thanks to technology! Imagine, sitting in South Africa and testing an interlocking system in, let’s say, Germany, this is a reality. In many respects, COVID-19, as disruptive as it was, enabled us to see, build and create opportunities beyond the brick-and-mortar constraints, making the world smaller and opportunities more accessible, no matter where in the world you are.
The rail sector encompasses far more than the immediately obvious roles of driving a train or fixing a diesel engine, valuable as those positions are. [As an interesting aside, in 2018, Saudi Arabia opened up the opportunity for female train drivers on the Haramain high-speed train. There were around 32 slots available, and they received over 28,000 applications!]. The entire value chain of the rail sector is exhilarating from a career perspective, reaching well beyond Human Resources, Accounting and Marketing. So then, we must ask, what are the challenges?
The first challenge is exposure. Clearly, it’s difficult to grasp the opportunities available if you can’t see them or are unaware of them. For instance, I wouldn’t have known about testing interlocking systems if I hadn’t been interviewing someone who shared this with me. Therefore, exposure ranks high on my list. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) need to begin making more noise about the types of careers available in their businesses, and the same applies to operators. Considering the need to staff their organisations for the future, becoming more proactively involved at a high school level seems sensible to me.
The second challenge is education, particularly our schooling system. How do we prepare our children for the future when our schooling system has not adapted, neither in the content that is taught nor in the method of its delivery? There’s a pressing need to revisit the drawing board, as the current ‘sausage factory’ style of schooling means we lose far too many children with potential. Let’s face it, the kids today are wired very differently compared to my generation, and the ones before that. I also believe that today’s teachers are not as invested as those from yesteryear, resulting in poor delivery, poor execution, and ultimately, a poor end product. This is particularly evident in STEM subjects.
I see this in my children. One of them struggles to hold a pen properly but can type faster than me and navigate a computer with astonishing speed, leaving me in awe. This child possesses a deeper understanding of the financial sector than I could ever hope to achieve, despite having eight unused textbooks. How does he get to the next level in this archaic system? My other child, who likely would have made a great doctor, was held back by an inability to grasp mathematics, a setback I attribute to inadequate teaching. However, two degrees later in a completely unrelated field, she is adding two additional subjects to her NCS, maths and biology – to pursue her actual dream job.
Sadly, I too have failed in making the rail sector appealing, as none of my children are interested in it or in taking over my business someday. However, that might change… For now, I’m eager to collaborate with Nnoni to underscore the significance of this sector and the opportunities it presents, both now and in the future. I can’t speak for everyone, but in my view, there isn’t another industry on earth that quite literally unlocks the wealth and value in an economy like the rail sector. And women have a significant role to play in this!
About the Author:
Phillippa Dean has dedicated the last 26 years to Railways Africa Magazine, where she currently serves as both Editor and Publisher. Since its inception in 1952, the magazine has been at the forefront of providing thorough and insightful coverage of rail and related industries across the African continent. As a pivotal resource, Railways Africa Magazine delivers in-depth analysis and the latest industry news to rail professionals worldwide. Phillippa is deeply passionate about the development of rail in Africa, excited by the sector’s potential to not only unlock economic opportunities but also to foster an environment of gender equality and inclusive professional roles for women.