Women have been breaking male bastions, one after the other, and today there are hardly any areas left where women are not playing a significant role. From even in the armed forces to challenging onsite jobs in industry. Yes. The overall percentages of women in these areas are quite minor; but they are growing. What is important is that once the glass ceiling is broken by few intrepid women by their entry into areas, otherwise dominated by men, it serves as an inspiration for others to follow suit.
Impeding social, cultural and traditional forces restraining women are now being overtaken by the forces let loose by education, modernism and enabling corporate culture, governmental encouragement and regulations.
Here is the saga of one such intrepid woman, Seema Rayal, who after her education as an engineer, joined a very challenging field – oil & gas. This pathbreaking role is quite laudable, as even when women get trained as engineers, many prefer to take cushy white collar jobs, eschewing areas which are perceived as too challenging for women. But not Seema Rayal. Despite the many societal and other challenges she faced she decided to take on the tough area of a predominantly male preserve.
Seema is the first woman engineer from Rajasthan and at Cairn Oil & Gas to occupy this coveted leadership position at an oil and gas installation that has traditionally been considered a male bastion. Hailing from the state of Rajasthan, a region very conservative and traditional. Seema has overcome several social barriers to become the first woman from the state to head an oil and gas producing field of Cairn Oil & Gas.
Read this interesting profile on her persistence, perseverance and resoluteness in this interview with Chemical Industry Digest.
Chemical Industry Digest (CID): Despite knowing that the hydrocarbon exploration industry is not only challenging but also a male bastion, particularly in the engineering sectors – what motivated you to take up a career in this sector? Was this your preference over other options, why?
Seema Rayal (SR): When I decided to pursue a career in engineering there were other options available too. But, I was confident in my decision of working in this sector as my interests lay here. I agree that this is a male dominated sector, but that never stopped me from dreaming or pursuing a career in this field. There were occasions when my capabilities were questioned, because I was a woman, but my team at Cairn has always supported me. Eventually, people around me started believing in me and became confident in my skills.
CID: Hailing from Rajasthan, a very patriarchal and conservative society, how did your family and your community react to you becoming an engineer and taking up an oil and gas field job?
SR: It is true that Rajasthan still suffers from a patriarchal society. But I believe I have been very fortunate to have had complete support from my family. My parents never discriminated between my brothers and me, even when I was a child. They have always been supportive of my desire to pursue a career in engineering, because I was a bright kid who they reposed immense faith in. When I appeared for the engineering entrance exam, I ranked 12th among the girls and was one of the four females who got selected for Cairn. When I got married in 2010, the support I received from my in-laws was exceptional. My mother-in-law played a key role in helping me balance my personal and professional life. She was the reason I could continue with my profession successfully after having two kids. She ensured I could fulfil my role as a mother while I practised as a field engineer. She stepped up and took the responsibility of ensuring that everything was taken care of at home so that I could pursue my career. I managed to create a perfect work-life balance with her support.
CID: Beginning as a graduate engineer trainee in 2008, to becoming Senior Engineer, to becoming Superintendent Manager, to now Installation Manager – you have consistently grown in rank. Could you briefly state the activities you handled in each position, i.e., your job responsibilities? How were you trained at Cairn Oil & Gas?
SR: After completing my training, I was given the opportunity to work for six months at both Suvali and Ravva. I returned to Rajasthan in 2008, just as the project was about to begin. Since MPT had not yet been properly commissioned, we were relocated to a small area in Mangala where we would set up an early production facility to get the oil out for sale. I decided to switch to the installation vertical after working around that facility for a while. After 2-3 years as an Installation Engineer, I was promoted to Senior Engineer. As a Senior Engineer, I oversaw instrument maintenance, mentored the crew, and provided further training. When I became a manager, I decided to train my team for the field. I made sure I provided them unwavering support. While training them, I realised that I had to be more than just a manager – I needed to be a leader.
CID: In the various functions/projects you handled in your job to date, can you describe any two most challenging projects that you handled successfully? Any regrets in any other projects which you feel you could have handled better?
SR: My priority, right from the start, has been to ensure compliance and an incident-free work environment. When I was promoted to Installation Manager, I discovered that I needed to be even more careful with compliance, employee safety, and production figures. This has helped me manage my projects more efficiently. While I was in Mangala, a team arrived from Gurgaon, and I was assigned to them. The Gurgaon team’s leader was taken aback when he saw a lady stepping up to work for them. But my employer assured them that the job would be done well. In the months that followed, I ensured that the project was finished successfully, and the team leader was left with no doubt in the capabilities of a woman field engineer.
CID: As a woman engineer, what challenges did you face? How did your male colleagues react to you – especially as you went up the ladder and became a boss? Did you find being a woman in your job a disadvantage or was it advantageous?
SR: Once I decided that I wanted to pursue electrical engineering there was no turning back. When I was working in Rajasthan, people had a misconception that women are incapable of withstanding the harsh temperatures – but we stood equally with the rest of the team. Nothing is impossible for a woman to achieve. Women have great team spirit and that is a great advantage. These are some early learnings from my school days that I still hold very dear. Although patriarchy is predominant in Indian society, things are changing. It will take time for the perception that women cannot do as well as men in this industry to change. In Cairn, no one has ever questioned my competence because of my gender. However, it was not an easy road for me; there were numerous roadblocks, and people began to believe in me only once I stepped up and proved myself through good work.
CID: What were the conditions at the various terminals you operated (Rageshwari and Mangala) and now at the Aishwarya oil field site? Are the facilities and working conditions women-friendly?
SR: Women-friendly conditions that push them to achieve their full potential are usually limited in businesses in this sector. But I must appreciate Cairn for the kind of environment they have provided me and other lady engineers throughout our stay here. The company has always been very supportive and assisted us in our professional development. We’ve always been treated equally, and I don’t recall ever being looked down upon because of my gender. Cairn as a company has always ensured women-friendly working conditions, irrespective of the levels we work on.
CID: Today, many women are becoming engineers, though as a percentage they remain fewer than men. However, after they receive their degrees, many women opt against working in the plants or at project sites. Most prefer office-based, white-collar careers. Why do you think this is so? What is your advice for aspiring young women engineers?
SR: There are two reasons for this attrition. On one hand, conditions are not conducive for women in several field jobs – this includes providing security, segregating washrooms, etc; on the other hand, given societal norms, there is also some amount of apprehension among women on their ability to succeed in the field. I believe that determination is key to excelling in any subject. Depending on her willingness, a woman can alter the atmosphere. If you want to work in a plant or on a project site, you must be mentally prepared. Both working at a plant or an office, require effort and dedication. Women are generally advised to take up ‘comfortable’ jobs. I believe every work environment has its challenges. I think women should take up any job that they like and give their cent per cent to it. If they remain determined and convinced, every obstacle and challenge can be overcome.
