Women in male-dominated industries like construction, science, engineering and trade industries were the major winners at this year’s Western Sydney Women Awards, now in its third year.
Key points:
- The awards were announced across 12 different industries
- Engineer Mai Mai Yeung won the award for STEM Woman of the Year
- Queenie Tran won the award for Executive Woman of the Year
Construction and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) were added to the categories to form a total of 12 awards which were announced in an online ceremony on Tuesday evening.
“These are industries that are often forgotten about as well when it comes to women, so we wanted to shine a light on them,” said Amanda Rose, chief executive of Western Sydney Women.
“We also want to recognise industries that have not been given a voice previously.”
Other categories included community, performing and creative arts, startup, sporting and small business.
Be persistent
Engineer Mai Mai Yeung won the award for STEM Woman of the Year.
Ms Yeung has been an engineer for 35 years and is currently working on the design of the Western Sydney Airport.
She has previously worked in building and transport infrastructure, but her speciality is the design of airfield lighting along the runway.
Ms Yeung’s message to others in her field is to have persistence and to find a mentor and sponsor within the company.
“Sometimes women are seen as secondary in men’s eyes, especially in a male-dominated industry,” she said.
“How I tackle it? I say, ‘We do as good as yours, and probably better’.
Impressed with Western Sydney
Queenie Tran, who won the award for Executive Woman of the Year, said she was impressed with the “calibre of women in Western Sydney” who were honoured at the awards.
Ms Tran is the chief operating officer for not-for-profit organisation Summer Housing, which helps develop then subsequently lease accessible housing for people with disabilities.
“It’s not about who you are, it’s about what you present.
“It’s a really inclusive industry from the perspective of wanting to achieve something great.”
ABC Sydney was a media partner of the Western Sydney Women’s Awards.
