Your Voice. Your Power. | Angela Hucker | TEDxHobart
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlX3oxy-0d0 Video ID: DlX3oxy-0d0 ============================================================ [Applause] [Music] [Applause] cool look at that mate I love the piece of that so take a moment and imagine it's 8:30 p.m. on a Saturday night you've just worked 6 days straight 12-hour days and you have another s days to go before you get a day off you finally jump into bed exhausted and ready for sleep before your 4:30 a.m. start the next morning next minute your door is flung open the light turned on and a stranger is standing there this stranger then utters the word hey you are lying in the most vulnerable position ever what do you do this situation happened to me whilst while I was working on a construction site as a flying fly out worker where I also lived in the camp with approximately 2,000 people women were a rarity in Camp making up only 0.05% it was in this moment I knew that it was the power of my voice that could help keep me safe so I yelled at this man get out he listened but only momentarily he spoke again hey I was terrified who was this person and why was he standing at my door each time my voice had to become stronger and more assertive this incident highlighted that my voice was a power that I needed to use particular in an industry like construction where I was the minority and where women make up only 14% of the construction Workforce the industry is currently at a Crossroads we are currently facing a shortage of 229,000 workers in Australia with a need for 990,000 more in the next 3 months to address a housing crisis governments at all levels are scrambling to attract more women through financial incentives the issue is that the current culture Illustrated in one small part by the example I gave you about the man at my door inhibits the attraction and retention of women to the industry the statistics are alarming research shows that 53% of women in the industry are sexually harassed yet only 17% feel comfortable reporting it 44% of women experience gender discrimination it is the industry with the highest gender pay gap of 31.8% and not to mention the bullying where more than onethird of women are concerned about this when entering the IND industry which is not surprising considering 35% of people who already work in the industry do not feel comfortable reporting bullying but the most devastating part is that every second day a construction worker dies from suicide the current culture is so toxic unhealthy and unsafe it's costing an estimated $8 billion per year in annual economic losses in the 20 years I've worked in the industry I've experienced all of this I found there is such a discrepancy where safety is preached daily yet as a woman I've been left exposed to Relentless threats and harm which has made me feel unsafe so I've been on a mission to understand this silent poison infiltrating the industry and how it can be reduced let's take a look at what happens from a physiological response when you feel unsafe in places such as a construction site such conditions trigger a devastating reaction in your body your adrenal glands sens that you are in danger leap into action and release cortisol a hormone which is designed for shortterm stress response but being in a constant state of stress is not normal and it has dire consequences on your physical and your mental health cortisol is not designed to be continuously released and it reaks havoc on your body your memory and your concentration is diminished you will have a weakened immune system you will have increased depression and anxiety and you are at greater risk of heart disease digestive issues and Sleep Disorders these are not the conditions you want working in a high-risk environment like Construction it's like a pressure cooker on the verge of explosion now I've experienc the impact of cortisol running through my body and it is dangerous I needed sleeping tablets to help me sleep every night I ballooned from a size 12 to a size 16 I suffered from irritable bow syndrome once I was actually rushed to hospital and put on an ECG thinking I was having a heart attack the Depression was always there and many times suicide crossed my mind it is honestly I honestly felt like I had this constant black cloud hanging over my head how many other people in the industry are also feeling like this this is why we need immediate change we need a construction industry where everyone feels safe respected and valued we need to build this industry's capability increase safety and attract more women and all the skills and knowledge that they bring now like Construction there are similar high-risk Industries however their primary focus is on getting the best out of their people men and women let's take a look at the military as an example their core focus is on having a clear defined structure and respect and Trust are primary foundations the military work hard to build strong cohesive teams where there is profound trust amongst all team members leaders are only put into leadership positions after rigorous training on how to lead teams effectively everyone is treated with respect why because they are literally in life and death situations if the team do not trust each other and the leaders don't know how to successfully lead someone may lose their life research in the military shows that by having highly cohesive teams the combat stress to wounded in action ratio is reduced by 25 to 30% now the construction industry is not dissimilar to the military the work is extremely dangerous and high risk there is Machinery that can kill you if not operated correctly and you are riant on the whole team to be safe to get the job done to achieve the outcomes however the industry currently works like a crazy person a Boxing Day Sale it's like every man for himself there is no cohesiveness there is very little trust and there is virtually no respect on many construction sites and tailored training for women to thrive in this male-dominated environment is not common place but there's hope particularly for women that doesn't rely on physical strength or intimidation and that's the power of our voices by using our voices we can create profound Ripple effects on leadership culture and everyday work life our voices are like lighthouses guiding people to safety and can be developed into a tool to Champion change Foster inclusivity and pave the way for a more healthier and Equitable future now let's just go back and pick up from my earlier story when I was lying there I was vulnerable and it was the power of my voice that brought me enough time to get up and lock the door but he came back after realizing the door was now locked he tried to break in I immediately ran Camp security and explained to them that someone was trying to break into my room after having already entered three times I was hoping they'd come quickly all of the hundred M from their office to my room but it took them 13 minutes to reach me during this time I have honestly never been so scared in all my life I kept thinking I might become one of those horror stories I'd heard about affecting women in the camp finally I heard their voice security and a wave of relief washed over me a couple of days later I found myself in the project director's office following an investigation of the incident he was the boss of the whole project which had approximately 4 and half thousand people on site he threw me off when he asked me Ang what do you want me to do I paused needing a moment to collect my thoughts I realized he clearly didn't understand what it was like being a woman in the industry who had their physical safety threatened so I asked him Mike imagine this was your wife at home and someone was trying to force their way into your house and your bedroom and she was alone how would you feel I went on I could call the police right now but I'm giving you the opportunity to do the right thing I don't come here to be violated and you have a duty to always keep me safe do the right thing now Mike may not have known how to best support me but he also didn't have a framework to offer me support to keep me safe as a woman once again I needed to use my voice to help him consider what he had to do to keep me safe ultimately the man who tried to break into my room was terminated and I ended up with three male allies to help keep me safe in Camp who became my own personal security guards but would things have turned out this way if I hadn't have found my voice and stood up for myself highly unlikely this incident highlighted that it was my voice that could protect me particularly in an industry where as a minority it was the most important tool I had to help keep me safe as women we provide balance to our male dominated construction industry and research shows that when you have 30% gender diversity real change starts to happen you will have greater Innovation better decision making and greater returns for companies if the construction industry is to end harassment bully discrimination and all the other injustices that persist on site then we need to lean in to what women can contribute by way of softer skills different ways of thinking and knowledge as a woman in this industry I use my voice every day to Advocate educate and support other women in my industry and Beyond however standing here you probably wouldn't think it but being an introvert learning to use my voice has not become natural or easy for me it's taken many many years to build this skill as a child I grew up in an environment where children was seen but not heard in my adult life I've endured not one not two but three domestic violent relationships in the construction industry I've had men hold their fists up ready to punch me I've had men stand 10 cm from my face and verbally abuse me and I've been harassed and disrespected by men more times than I've celebrated a birthday and I've got a few of those under my belt however I've learned that it was the power of my voice that could protect me when I needed it most over the years I've worked on strengthening the power of my voice and it's made a huge difference in my life it's been my way to share how I feel to stand up against disrespect derogatory comments and bullying and provide support to others when they need it most all of which has been vital for me to survive in the construction industry so this is a call to every woman in the construction industry or any other male dominated industry where you may have experienced incidents of discrimination bullying harassment or physical intimidation to not just speak up but to [Applause] Roar your voices are the Catalyst for Revolution that this construction industry urgently needs by using our voices we can command the safety respect and equality that we deserve now is the time to break the silence that has muted us and our contributions for far too long so I call upon you to amplify your voices share your story and let them reverberate across boardrooms offices work sites and conferences together let's initiate a ripple effect that redefines the very foundation of the construction industry women hold the key to reimagining the Future into one of opportunity equality and safety for all thank you [Applause]