PROFILE
Architect of change
By Kim Kemp
Hard hats are the norm on construction sites . What isn ’ t , is women in hard hats . This imbalance , however , is being addressed by young women who are succeeding in this male-dominated sector and its related industries .
According to www . statssa . gov . za , there are more women than men in South Africa , with women comprising 51 % of the total population . However , despite making up just over half of the population , women remain comparatively disenfranchised in positions of authority and power . This is acknowledged by South Africa ’ s Constitution , which sets out gender equality as a founding principle . The Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill in particular , calls for 50 % representation in decision-making positions , underscored by the recently amended Construction Sector Code . Although South Africa has made great strides , gender representation is still below the 50 % mark for positions that come with any degree of influence and , by way of illustration , according to data from 2014 , women comprised 32 % of Supreme Court of Appeal judges , 31 % of advocates , 30 % of ambassadors , and 24 % of heads of state-owned enterprises . The Civil Engineering Contractor ( CEC ) caught up with Alexandra Slaviero , project architect for Paragon Architects , and discussed how she made the career choices she did and how she is faring as a successful young white professional woman , in a predominantly male environment .
CEC : Alexandra , please can you describe how you came to do what you do ?
Alexandra Slaviero ( AS ): Architecture for me was not an accident ! I developed an appreciation and curiosity towards architecture and design from an early age , being more interested in building Lego structures than playing with dolls .
Kim Kemp
Slaviero is presently working on the Rosebank Link , located in what is now known as the Rosebank Mews and forms part of the R7-billion facelift that has been undertaken for the past few years .
30 - CEC June 2018