Behind the scenes for International Women’s Day

Monday, March 8, 2021 is International Women’s Day. It is an important day to celebrate women's achievements and call for gender equality.

The Town of Whitby is home to a number of strong, inspirational women who are breaking gender stereotypes – working in roles that in the past were once traditionally occupied by men.

Two of these inspirational women are Whitby Fire’s first female Captain, Andrea Lavelle and technology trailblazer Carrie-Ann Williamson, Manger of Client Services, Information Technology.

We went behind the scenes to get to know these leaders better – to find out what drew each to their career, what gender biases they break and what they #ChooseToChallenge this International Women’s Day.

What drew you to your career field?

Andrea: “I had aspirations to be in emergency services since I was young, specifically fire services as love to work in a team and constantly be challenged.”

Carrie-Ann: “I wanted to be a novelist like Agatha Christie or a photographer. I realized I am most passionate about relationships and people and it led me to Information Technology.”

Would you say your team and or field is male dominated?
Andrea: “As far as percentage of women in my line of work, it does remain low, but there are definitely more women coming into the profession now than there was in the past.”
Carrie-Ann: “I have historically been on teams where about 80 per cent of my team mates and leadership have been men. I am really proud that in our Technology and Innovation Services team at the Town of Whitby we are well above that average with 35 per cent of our team being women.”

Did you ever feel discouraged from applying for a job because of your gender?

Andrea: “I personally have never felt discouraged from applying for a job based on being a female, and have always had great support in pursuing my career path.”
Carrie-Ann: “Absolutely NOT. Gender to me is irrelevant. Follow your passion. Define yourself. Continually scan for growth opportunities. Don’t let gender discourage you or make you think you need to do anything in this life. Be authentic to yourself.”

The theme of International Women’s Day 2021 is “Choose to Challenge”. What do you choose to challenge?

Andrea: “I choose to challenge other women to pursue a career in firefighting regardless of the challenges if that is their dream and aspiration.”
Carrie-Ann: “I choose to challenge our own gender biases. Challenging how you think is a good thing, sometimes un-learning is as important as learning.”

What famous women inspires you?

Andrea: “Pink because she advocates for women to get and stay involved, to stand up for themselves and to pursue any dream they may have regardless the challenges or adversity.”
Carrie-Ann: “My Mom, she taught me to always be grateful, to find the positive and to always strive to move forward.  She taught me early on that everyone in the family had a job. My job was to get a good education. She still jokes that a woman can never have too many initials after her name. My mom is graceful, hilarious, hard working and fiercely loyal.”

What advice would you give to today’s younger generation of women seeking to enter the workforce?

Andrea: “To work hard to attain their goals, even against odds, and trust they are equally capable of great achievements and successes if put in the time and energy.”
Carrie-Ann: “Surround yourself with good people. People who challenge you to think differently, people who inspire you, people who have had different lived experiences. People who approach life with curiosity, not judgement. People who want nothing but the best for you, even if that means calling you out on your own faulty logic, and giving you a kick forward.”

What kind of formal education do you recommend young women pursue to get a job in your field?

Andrea: “The education required for this job is pre-fire service course and specialty rescue courses.”
Carrie-Ann: “Business Relationship Management, Project Management, Change Management  ITIL – these are IT best practices.”

Thank you for sharing your insights Andrea and Carrie!  Whitby, we want to hear from you. Do you know a strong women leader? Share your story at connectwhitby.ca/champions

Happy International Women’s Day from the Town of Whitby.