Women make up just 24 per cent of the Australian rail industry workforce, according to the latest figures from the Australasian Railway Association (ARA Gender Diversity Report Survey, 2022).
While this is an improvement on the 17 per cent reported back in 2014, there is still a long way to go until gender equality is achieved in the sector.
Jeshree Gaundar, Head of People & Culture at MTR Australia, said one way of attracting more women, not just to pursue a career in rail but to stick around and rise up the ranks, is by showcasing female success stories.
“We also make a concerted effort to facilitate women’s career growth through mentorship and networking opportunities, flexible working arrangements, career development plans and more,” she said.
Here, three successful women at MTR Australia share how they got where they are today and what they think needs to be done to improve the gender equality in the rail industry.
Renee Leung, Resilient System Interface Engineer at MTR
Ever since she was a child, Renee Leung has wanted to fix things.
“My dad was an industrial engineer and he built the little toys that you get with Happy Meals at McDonald’s,” she said.
“When I was a kid, I would see my dad bringing these toys home and reassembling them, trying to fix any problems.
“That’s when I got the idea that fixing things was interesting!”
Later, Leung decided she wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps and study engineering – but he wasn’t too keen on the idea.
“Dad wasn’t very supportive,” she said. “He asked some of my female relatives to guide me towards studying something else, like commerce.
“Being an engineer himself, he knew how male-dominated the industry was and thought it would be tough for any female.”
Despite her father’s reservations, Leung pursued her dream. At the age of 17, she took the brave leap of moving from Hong Kong to Australia on her own to study and work as an engineer in the construction industry before pivoting into rail.
“For the first five or six years of my career, I was on construction sites a lot,” she said.
“The construction workers, who were nearly all men, would often be surprised to see me.
“They would warn me that the site was dirty, or the work was very hands-on – they weren’t sure that I could do it.”
It wasn’t just sexism that Leung had to deal with.
Coming from Hong Kong, she also had to grapple with visa-related job rejections, as well as language and cultural barriers. But these challenges never stood in Leung’s way, and she’s now a successful engineer and leader with MTR.
She’s played pivotal roles in crucial infrastructure projects, including managing key stakeholders for the operational readiness of the Sydney Metro City and Southwest line.
“My motto has always been ‘Tough times don’t last, tough people do,’” she said.
“When I look back at those difficult situations I faced, they really shaped me into who I am today.
“Now when I’m working on a difficult project like the Sydney Metro with driverless trains, or I’m asked to lead a major meeting at work, I don’t panic. I always remember my motto, and I hope to make my dad proud.”
Leung wants to inspire more women to enter the construction and rail industries, and said it’s important to have female role models in leadership roles.
“For a while, I worked for [financial, software, data, and media company] Bloomberg, and there were actually a lot of female leaders there,” she said.
“I could see women who were both mothers and leaders at their workplace, and that helped me imagine how I might balance work with becoming a mother in the future. You need to see so you can become.
“In the construction and rail industries, this is more uncommon, but MTR is doing great work to change that.”
One of the ways MTR is promoting female leadership is by running a mentorship program for women in the workplace.
“There was a matching process where I put in my interests and my requirements from a mentor, and I was matched with a director or a senior manager, and we have a catch up each month,” Leung said.
“I was also matched with a group of five females from other companies and we have regular catchups as well.
“From there, I really found my role model and got to see different leadership styles and how they manage their work while having successful relationships with their loved ones.”
Leung has also benefitted from various workshops regularly run by MTR, aimed at empowering women in the workplace.
In addition, a personalised development plan has been formulated by MTR to help her grow her career.
“Before, I never thought I had the skills or personality to go beyond being an engineer,” she said.
“But because of all the mentoring I have received and the inspiring female leaders I have met, I now believe I will be able to achieve what they have.”
Sharing her advice with other women who are interested in a career in the rail industry, Leung said: “If you’re passionate about it, don’t let yourself be discouraged by rejection or criticism. Keep moving, believe in yourself and you will find your way.”
Carmela Pelaez – Senior Project Engineer at MTR
For MTR’s Sydney-based Senior Project Engineer Carmela Pelaez, female leadership adds diversity and another perspective in terms of problem solving, driving project delivery and leading teams.
“I believe diversity contributes to positive impacts in projects, bringing varied strengths and skillsets,” Pelaez said.
“I often feel inspired when witnessing females excel in driving outcomes, leading teams, and contributing to achieving milestones in complex projects.”
In Pelaez’s view, having strong female representation in the rail industry encourages more young women to get on board.
“It also demonstrates to females in other industries that rail and engineering is a potential area for their growth as there are many transferrable skills,” she said.
“There are plenty of opportunities for young professionals, females and males alike, to excel in this industry.”
Pelaez said companies can support, mentor and retain female talent through on-the-job mentoring and buddy systems, as well as through growth, performance and succession plans. This can help ensure that female talent is “engaged, challenged and able to see a promising future”.
When it comes to getting a start in the rail industry, Pelaez recommends chatting to people currently working in rail and asking them about their roles.
“Ask them what they love about working on rail projects. This may lead to opportunities and a foot in the corridor!”
Belinda Moverley, Senior Commercial Manager at MTR
Belinda Moverley has worked in the construction and rail industries for over three decades, and has spent the past seven years at MTR.
As a Senior Commercial Manager, Moverley gets exposure to the most senior level in the Australian business.
She’s played a pivotal role in numerous major projects, from early works on the Sydney Light Rail to station upgrades and more.
“I’m currently managing our contract with Sydney Metro, which is a massive project,” she said.
“I’m part of a team of 14 and we manage our rights and obligations under the contract, as well as finance, risk, opportunity and other similar matters.
“I also have a full-time job at home with three children and a husband and a dog!”
When Moverley started out 30 years ago, the Australian rail and construction industries had very few women in the workforce.
“They still are male-dominated industries, absolutely, but nowhere near what they used to be,” she said.
“It was a bit intimidating at the very start, but I think once you’ve learnt your skills and you prove yourself, the men go ‘Oh, you can actually do this!’
“You build your confidence and then you know you can conquer anything.”
Moverley said it’s crucial to have female leaders at all levels in the rail industry because they act as role models to others.
“Women leading the way is a success story which will inspire other women and help demonstrate that gender is not a barrier to success,” she said.
“It encourages newcomers to our industry, promotes retention, provides pathways for career advancement and allows stereotypes to be challenged and perceptions to be changed.
“There is an underlying assumption in our industry that rail and construction work is men’s work. It is hazardous, it is dirty and involves a lot of heavy lifting. This is outdated and needs to be changed. By having more women in leading roles at all levels of a business, we can quash this myth.”
Moverley said women bring many beneficial qualities to the workplace, from empathy to adaptability to strong communication and creativity.
“Men and women are different,” she said. “Our brains differ, and we think and process information differently. Our bodies differ – we see differently and move differently. But these differences are not limitations. Men and women are complementary, and we need to leverage off this.”
Moverley said that when it comes to creating a workplace that is welcoming to women, culture is everything.
“Understanding and promoting the criticality of women in the workplace must come from the top,” she continued.
“An organisation must achieve ‘buy in’ from the executive and senior leadership teams, as it is these people who build the foundational architecture of a business.
“By creating non-toxic environments where women feel supported and respected, companies can foster a sense of belonging for all workers.”
Outside of defining an inclusive culture, she said there are many initiatives businesses can (and should) implement. These include removing the gender pay gap and equalising bonus opportunities between men and women, appointing “Champions of Change”, equalising prospects for career progression and promotion, and celebrating its female success stories.
“They can implement mentorship programs, which is something that MTR Australia has recently implemented,” she said.
“They can also ensure that they have the right policies in place, like parental leave, flexible working, wellness leave etc – which MTR also does.
“MTR also has town halls, which are great networking opportunities.
“All of the senior leaders are there, all of the lower-level staff are there, and everyone can have a chat.”
Moverley said businesses should also look further afield, beyond supporting, mentoring and retaining its own female staff.
“Businesses need to collaborate with other businesses and industry associations, such as the Australasian Railway Association or the National Association of Women in Construction.
“Through sharing best practices and aligning policy and strategy, businesses can leverage their collective intelligence and influence to foster an inclusive culture for both their own organisations and the wider industry.
“We need to work together to make this the norm.”
Sharing her advice to women who want to build a career in rail, she suggested joining a rail industry association.
“These associations can provide valuable resources, support and networks to help inform and connect people and businesses, and in my view is a sensible place to educate yourself on a possible rail industry journey,” she said.
She also recommends getting in touch with any rail industry worker you know, no matter what level they are at.
“From CEOs to ticketing officers to freshies out of university to engineers… ask them their story and how they were onboarded,” she said. “Be inspired!
“I would also suggest seeking career advice from any senior professional (male or female) you know, irrespective of whether they are in the rail industry or not.
“This may be a teacher, a neighbour, a friend of a friend.
“Don’t be afraid – people want to help.”
