IWD 2021 #ChooseToChallenge – Part 3
Dr Sophia Ramlal – Senior Commission Veterinarian, Jamaica Racing Commission
There is no denial that horseracing is still seen as a man’s sport. It is estimated that the ratio of men to women in the professional ranks of the sport is eight to one. “Women and girls who participate in the sport encounter several challenges including unsolicited advances, poor work-life balance, and lack of confidence in their abilities to provide services on par to their male counterparts,” Ramlal said. “The overarching challenge for women working in racing is to get a foot through the door and prove themselves adroit.”
In an environment where female racing professionals are faced with higher hurdles to jump in establishing that they are equally capable, despite being equally (or better) qualified than male professionals, the veterinarian has chosen to challenge the status quo and remain in racing simply for the love of the horse and out of respect for the positive impact of the industry on many livelihoods. “Ironically my 20-year journey as an equine veterinarian has been enhanced by learning and growing through strategic interactions with male mentors in the field which has had the added value of demonstrating that expertise is gender-less,” she shared.
“In #ChoosingToChallenge, I choose to demonstrate that it is my value as a professional that speaks loudest, and my commitment to paying it forward that gives me a ‘leg up’ and opens doors,” she said. “We are evidencing the changes in racing as more females choose to challenge and join the ranks of racing professionals as veterinarians, jockeys, stewards, and administrators. More importantly the public has growing confidence and respect for female contributions to horseracing and while there are still hurdles to cross the gate has been opened.”
Sheraley Bridgeman – Vice-president, business development & marketing, Guardian General Insurance Jamaica
Having been in the insurance industry for over 27 years, Bridgeman has learned that the insurance sales field comes with major challenges, but she never felt daunted or inadequate in the male-dominated field.
“I knew that I was up against a number of challenges and gender barriers. Growing up in a female-led home, I had seen the women of my household take on roles that are traditionally carried out by men, and notably, my aunt became one of the nation’s most powerful leaders. It was ingrained in me, that as a woman, I can do anything I set my mind to. I dedicated to learning my craft and doing it with excellence and passion.”
Bridgeman’s winning strategy was to bring her energy and personality, coupled with knowledge, to serve her clients well. Now in charge of a team of mostly women, Bridgeman vows to ensure that she creates a safe space for them to thrive in.
“Another one of my philosophies is to also be very engaging with my team, assuring them that as their manager, they always have a voice, and facilitating them to be engaged in certain decisions and making their own voices heard,” she shared. “I #ChooseToChallenge myself to leave a legacy for women to feel empowered and lead in any field they want to pursue, whilst being sophisticated and fabulous.”
Sabrina Johnson-Green – Vice-president, information technology & transformation, Guardian Life Limited
Despite the increasing number of women in the technology industry, it remains a male-dominated one. Johnson-Green remarked that now is an exciting and rewarding time to be in the technology industry, especially given the exodus to cyberspace that the world has had to do in light of the pandemic, creating a myriad of career opportunities.
“One of the biggest issues faced by women in my field is the lack of visibility of other women making strides in tech – the lack of recognisable and accessible female role models,” she said. “This can discourage females from starting careers in this area, because it’s hard to be and aspire to what you can’t see.”
Johnson-Green also noted that women in this area often face several challenges in balancing their careers and family life, which makes community even more important. “There are many benefits to be had from having the presence of other women with shared experiences, to whom you can reach out and hear specifically and tactically, ‘How do I do this?’,” she related.
“Having been blessed to work in an environment where gender bias is not a part of the culture, so women have equal opportunity to occupy leadership roles, I can more aptly inspire and #ChooseToChallenge this issue, because I know that there are girls and other women who are intrigued by science and technology too, and I want my daughter and other girls to know that pursuing a career in the diverse world of tech as a woman is not only possible, but that there is a legacy and a road map left by other women who have done it, and done it well.”
Nasha-Monique Douglas – Chief Marketing Officer, Digicel Jamaica
As the strategic leader of Digicel’s marketing initiatives, Douglas oversees the conceptualisation and implementation of digital and traditional marketing initiatives, enhancing brand awareness and developing new engagement activities for the telecommunications company.
During her more than 15 years in telecoms, media, marketing and the beverage industry, Douglas has found lack of collaboration among women to be one of the most unfortunate realities.
“In my own experience, most of my mentors or champions have been men, and it was not because I didn’t try to engage the women ahead of me,” she said. “Our role in this world is to ensure we leave the next generation in a better position than the last. I #ChooseToChallenge everyone to extend a thought, time, or even a helping hand to make the next generation of women equipped to make the world an even better place.”
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IWD 2021: 21 women #ChooseToChallenge[/naviga:h4][naviga:h4 class=”entry-title”]
IWD 2021 #ChooseToChallenge – Part 2[/naviga:h4][naviga:h4 class=”entry-title”]
IWD 2021 #ChooseTochallenge – Part 4[/naviga:h4][naviga:h4 class=”entry-title”]
IWD 2021 #ChooseToChallenge – Part 5[/naviga:h4]
