WASH Engineer and Researcher Cindy Lorena Ospina on How the Patriarchal and Misogynistic Professional Identity of Engineering Has Added Extra Burdens in Her Own Empowerment Path As A STEM women

Cindy is the daughter of an immigrant single mother who came to Spain when she was 10. She pursued civil engineering despite facing discouragement and bullying from her math teacher and male workmate. She specialized in urban water and sanitation after doing her bachelor's thesis in India, which sparked her interest in becoming a water change maker. However, after facing gender-based violence and harassment in a large engineering consultancy company, she decided to pursue an alternative path.

Cindy discusses gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace, particularly in engineering and NGOs, critiquing the practice of "bean counting" women in these fields without addressing their experiences.

Cindy and DrCat discuss the challenges women face if they leave engineering firms for non-profits or academia, where they may not find a more supportive environment. Unequal treatment, harassment, and pressure are common issues for women in NGOs and academia, and there are efforts being made to address them, such as forming unions and class-action suits. Creating a safe space for women in the workplace that ensures gender justice is essential.

We discuss how engineering and science are monopolized by patriarchal identities that limit women's ability to compete, get attention, and develop their own programs. Cindy has founded her own nonprofit, called Colectiva Pziflora, for women in STEM, and she notes that women-led non-profits are often overlooked in favor of larger organizations, and that financial support for innovative non-profits is needed to encourage more women in these fields.

The speaker expresses concern that women's voices are being monopolized by big organizations, and shares her own experience of facing violence as a woman. She believes it is important for women to share their stories to promote gender justice, and hopes for greater representation in events like the Water Conference. She regrets not being able to attend, but encourages others to speak up and bring awareness to the issues faced by women.