I was thrilled to be invited to sit on the panel at the Patrick Parsons ‘Women in Engineering’ event last week. It was really interesting to hear all the different experiences of working in the field of engineering and the encounters that had affected people in their careers. I think one of the challenges that we all face, regardless of gender, is people being ‘mean’ because they have grown up getting away with it. We can reduce this harmful behaviour by being courageous and calling it out when we see it, both at work and at home. So if you hear a group of people criticising another behind their backs, don’t join in just to fit in; be the person who stops the criticism in its tracks. This is true throughout our lives, when we are children and we witness a group bullying another child, or as adults when we see bigoted bullying in the workplace or the pub. If more people stood up and voiced their concerns, this toxic behaviour would cease to be so common. So take a moment to talk about calling out unacceptable behaviour with your friends and families next time you are together. Jo Bradley, Stormwater Shepherds UK
