International Women’s Day interview with freelance Surveyor Ana Klanšek (PART 1)

On March the 8th, it was International Women’s Day – a day where countries around the globe celebrate women’s social, economic, cultural and political achievements while calling for more gender equality.

This International Women’s Day, we spoke with two of our freelancers, Ana Klanšek (Surveyor) and Sarah Newnes (Geophysicist). Read PART 1 now to find out what Ana thinks can be done to achieve more gender diversity and inclusion in the oil and energy industry.
Stay tuned for the release of PART 2 today where we also talk to Sarah about gender diversity.  

Tell me a little bit about yourself, your background, current job and for how long have you been in this industry? 

I am a hydrographic surveyor working in offshore industry for 8 years now. As a freelance surveyor I have come across several companies and ships. Almost every trip I get to embark a new vessel and meet new people. I find it challenging but on the other hand it’s also rewarding as every trip I learn new things – each one is an adventure on its own. 

When did you decide you wanted to work offshore and why?  

To work in the offshore industry was not a one-time decision – it was more a result of a chain of events through my years of education. I like to say: it is where life has brought me. On the other hand, I live in a country that doesn’t have a translation for hydrographic surveyor, so I was always probably going to have to work somewhere else! However, don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy working offshore and living this lifestyle!

 Is there still a need for International Women’s Day?  

In my opinion in most European countries the gender equality is pretty advanced, and women are being empowered at all levels. But on the other hand just as you think, “We are there now, all is good”, another story pops-up in the media with another shocking story regarding gender discrimination or most commonly, sexual harassment. So for that reason, my answer is yes there is still a need for International Women’s day. Even if not so much in developed countries, but surely in third world countries, movements which empower women should be welcomed and supported.

And equally important, we should celebrate the 8^th of March also to commemorate and honour all the brave women who have fought and are still fighting hard for our rights and equality. 

 What’s one misconception people have about women working offshore or working offshore in general?  

For me the most common misconception regarding me working offshore is that people like to interpret my sexual orientation. Why? Maybe because of my appearance or maybe because of the nature of my work. I don’t know. But I do find it amusing.

What’s the most challenging part of your job?  

I find this a difficult question. In a professional sense it is all the challenges we face in the survey department such as setting up new systems and troubleshooting. However, I do enjoy such challenges and they also give me a personal satisfaction once overcome. In a personal sense I find it most difficult to be away from my loved ones and my home. It is always hard to leave for a job, especially when the contracts are longer. 

What are some key issues which need to be addressed to bring more women into the sector?  

Well I guess this is just another field of work where the majority of workers are men. It is the same in all engineering fields. However, in the last few years there has been a significant rise in women in those fields and I believe it will steadily grow through the next years. In my opinion the biggest issue here is being away from home. It is hard to have a family when you work offshore, and I believe that a lot of women in the offshore industry struggle with this question. Most of the women in offshore are young and without families. I have met very few women with children who work on board. It certainly is an issue and for some a difficult decision that they have to make. 

What can be done to achieve more gender diversity and inclusion in the oil and energy industry?  

Promoting gender diversity has been quite a common theme in the last few years. I really support it and am also grateful to people who have been supporting it before I started in this industry. In all the years I haven’t encountered any difficulties which could have arisen because of my gender. Nor have I been a witness of gender discrimination in a slightest. Therefore, I feel safe and professionally respected at work. I believe such a feeling plays a big role in enjoying the job. So maybe we could look at how to highlight this to women who are starting in this industry so it could ease their decision about working offshore. 

Secondly, the family issue which I have mentioned earlier might be dealt with a bit differently. It is quite natural and likely that women will pose the “family” question before even considering the offshore life. “How can I start a family? I will have to quit my job, find something else to do, maybe even obtain different education?” These are quite a few significant obstacles to be overcome and I fully understand that quite some women chose a different path at the start in order to avoid them. 

But on the other hand, in this fine age of information and technology I believe it would be possible to assist and support offshore operations also from onshore. For example, a lot of survey data needs to be processed and this can be done remotely, even from a sofa at home…. So maybe if the companies would offer a “plan B” to their female employees, the gender diversity would grow more quickly. 

What would your advice be for women who are just starting out in your industry?  

Go for it girl! I think working in offshore industry can be quite an adventure. You get to travel to different places, meet a great number of people from all parts of the world. It definitely broadens your horizon. Moreover, the diversity of projects and requirements always provide for enough challenges and new things to learn so it seldom gets boring. It is an amazing job for a young person willing to travel and learn. And young ladies should not be frightened by the men’s world as there is no such thing anymore. So head up and off you go!