Our Head of Communications and Marketing, Hayley Terrell, attended a Women in Transport and Brightly event this week and in her most recent article shines light on what she took from the discussions of the day.

Her reflection is both personal and industry specific, we think it will open your eyes to the importance of language used in our sector and how we can all keep continually learning to ensure we build a more inclusive industry for future generations.

So, grab a cuppa 🍵, carve out a few minutes and take a read.

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As a female professional that loves working in the highways industry, I am passionate about diversity and inclusion in the sector, so when was invited to a networking event by Women in Transport this week, I was eager to attend.

And I’m so glad I did. Not only was it an opportunity to meet with colleagues from across the sector, including local authorities and Highway Care Ltd clients, it was also a chance to understand how we all – myself included – perpetuate stereotypes and language that unconsciously limits progress when it comes to gender representation and equality in our industry.

Held at the historic The Historic Dockyard Chatham in Kent, the event was held jointly by Women in Transport and Brightly. It began with a discussion of bias and language from Hannah Winstanley that made everyone in the room think. Originally, this had been planned as a women-only event, which was then opened up to male delegates, and the event was all the better for it. The mix of men and women in the room made for a much more multi-faceted discussion and the drive for more inclusive language – which is critical infrastructure for a more inclusive industry – must be steered forward by us all.

I like to think that I am inclusive in the language I use, and I make a conscious effort to be gender neutral, but this session made me think. Even something as simple as the instruction to ‘follow the green man’ for evacuation in the event of a fire during the safety briefing prompted the question of why the icon should be male. It brought to mind conversations with colleagues only a few days ago at Intertraffic, when a comment about not leaving our exhibition stand ‘unmanned’ raised the question of what alternative terms were available if I was on the stand alone as a female team member.

Don’t get me wrong, I definitely slip up from time to time, but I make an active effort to change where I can, and I will always openly correct myself when I notice an error in reference to a pronoun or assumption based on my inbuilt bias.

It was clear from the conversation that adopting gender neutral language is a habit we all need to nurture. We learned about ‘System 1 System 2’ thinking, which is the intuitive process of recalling the language that comes to mind because we have always heard it and used it, as opposed to system 2 thinking, which may be slower and require more effort, but is conscious and logical. Fundamentally, words matter. Until we use language in a way that makes everyone feel equally valued and welcomed, we cannot expect to realise the goals so many of us aspire to for more gender balance in the sector. That message was loud and clear for me during the event, and I hope it resonated with other delegates – male and female – too.

The following session was on personal brand, delivered by Cecilia Harvey, which people often assume is all about amplifying your skills and achievements to help you advance in the workplace. It will certainly help with career aspirations, but that’s not the true value of personal branding. In fact, as the session explored, a personal brand should be all about how you can inspire others authentically, and in the context of Women in Transport, personal branding is a tool that those of us already working in the sector can use to motivate and support others.

Still mulling over everything we had learned and discussed, we enjoyed a tour of Chatham Docks, with our guide talking us through the rich history of the site with a special focus on the role women had played in it. From stories of women binding their breasts and dressing as men, to tales of the dangerous jobs done by women as the cheapest form labour, it was a look back in time that revealed how far we have come in terms of gender equality. It also brought into focus how much further we still need to travel. Disappointingly, our brilliant tour guide, Martha, thanked us for choosing the female history tour as, so few ever choose it.

Finally, we ended the day in the present, with the lens pointed firmly at the future during a talk about AI software and the potential of this technology. The advice was to see AI as an opportunity rather than the big bad wolf. Steve Griffiths, ACC took us through networking 101, sharing hints and tips to make the most of networking events, wrapping the day perfectly.

As every history teacher has told every class of students since the beginning of time, learning from the past is a gateway to understanding our present and our future. I left the event not just encouraged by the direction of travel when it comes to gender inclusion in the highways industry; but inspired to be part of steering that direction too.

I felt energised by all the wonderful connections I had made, the fascinating insights from the sessions and the familiar experiences shared by the audience and the presenters. For me connecting with people and sharing our stories has always filled my cup, I have felt a regained sense of positivity and optimism that comes from spending time on the things that truly motivate you.

The way we use language and encourage future talent is not just the job of communications professionals like me, it is a collective responsibility. Let’s all commit to continuous learning, permitting ourselves to have a curious mind, to ensure we see change.