This International Women’s Day, Al Pattison and Tony Lynn of the CP6 Anglia Enhancements team answer questions from the position of male allies.
Al: It’s a small step forward to equality in the workplace and highlighting all women do that historically hasn’t been highlighted nearly as much as it should. It’s a day to celebrate the brilliance we have and showcase this to the world.
Tony: International Women’s Day for me is the incredible changes we have made as a community towards women’s rights. It is a time to further acknowledge the hard work and positive impact women bring into all aspects of life from around the world on a daily basis. A chance for us all to recognise and celebrate women, and their achievements, each year on the 8th March.
Al: Firstly, my mother. She raised me in an environment where we had nothing. She worked full time and still managed to give us everything to be happy as children. My wife, who made me realise I was worth more and could do anything. She’s the leader I aspire to become and the reason I fight for equality in the workplace. My four daughters who remind me that I have a duty to ensure they don’t have the restrictions placed upon them that my wife and my mother had.
Tony: My mother was and always will be the biggest inspiration to me in my life. She educated my siblings and me that if you wanted something you had to go out and get it, it will not just come to you. She had the drive and determination as a role model to show us the work ethic needed to succeed within our careers. If we were willing to work hard enough at something the sky’s the limit!
I worked directly with the route team Lead Planner for Major Projects previously in CP5. She was strong and professional within her role and brought lots of experience and was an invaluable source of information. Without her negotiating skills and mannerisms with senior members of her industry, we would have missed many critical milestones for the completion of the Major Projects.
Al: We need to continue to provide opportunities for women to become the leaders the world needs. We need to ensure no bias is allowed to exist that will prevent this and we need to celebrate and force change. We need to influence everyone around us so that equality and equal opportunities and pay is the only acceptable outcome.
Tony: I would propose that all leaders listen to women in the industry from their aspirations within their careers to their work life balance. To mentor and support women in all industries to achieve their goals and have fair culture for application of all roles within any business.
Al: I hope that my wife, my daughters and every woman will be given the right opportunities, that equality wins and that my children don’t need to fight to get what they deserve in life. I hope my daughters are the leaders in the future.
Tony: As a married man and a father of four daughters I hope we continue to support women of the future to feel empowered to achieve their goals. I hope that the stigma will not hold back any of them in their careers and they are offered the opportunity to achieve and live a life as they wish to. I have one daughter who already works within construction and enjoys her role. I hope that should my wife or other daughters choose this at any point they are never held back by the stigma of industry against sexual orientation.
