International Women’s Day 2023
International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate the awesome wahine at Kirk Roberts, review where we are, and what we can do to support their developing careers.
Women make up 34% of our people, and of those 54 women, 63% work in technical roles, from architecture through to fire engineering. This is awesome given that females make up less than 14% of engineers in New Zealand[1].
“There are a lot more woman at the office at KR, it’s so refreshing.” Says Emma Turner, Civil Engineer based in Christchurch. Emma has worked in a variety of geotechnical, water resource and civil roles, and during her nine years in the industry notes that at times “it can be really hard with unconscious bias.”
Civil Engineer, Heliya Fanipour, agrees with Emma, and adds that this makes it even more important for woman to enter the field.
“For other women interested in civil engineering, I would say to go for it! Don’t let the gender imbalance in the field discourage you. Seek out support networks such as women in engineering groups or diversity and inclusion programs. Be persistent and stay motivated, knowing that your contributions can make a positive impact on society.”
We’re really proud that women make up:
83% of our finance team
75% of our project management team
30% of our civil engineering team
33% of our environmental team
28% of our fire engineering team
16% of our structural engineering team
89% of our corporate services team
Kirk Roberts has a great mix of nationalities and ethnicities, from Iran, Japan, and Canada, a true melting pot of international professionals. Having a high level of diversity promotes innovative thinking, new perspectives, and a wide range of expertise.
“This diversity is to be celebrated as it enables a broad range of perspectives in our teams which is positive for problem-solving. It allows us to build trust, respect, and understanding across cultures.” Says Julie Ashcroft, National Human Resources Manager.
1 Engineering NZ – Women in Engineering https://www.engineeringnz.org/news-insights/women-in-engineering/
The success of our diversity is a team effort, we celebrate and support one another.” – Amber Taylor, National Recruitment Manager
