This special episode is brought to you by CCWESTT, the Canadian Coalition of Women in Engineering, Science, Trades, and Technology, and features a live interview with Caroline Mekodom at CCWESTT’s biennial conference: Charting a Course, Navigating Systemic Change held this past May in Victoria, British Columbia.

Caroline Mekodom, is a certified engineering technologist specializing in biomedical instrumentation engineering. Caroline's journey began in Cameroon, where her childhood curiosity with electronics sparked her path into engineering, despite cultural norms discouraging women from such fields. After immigrating to Canada and facing significant barriers due to gender, immigrant status, and racial background, Caroline persisted with resilience.

Currently a senior customer support engineer Caroline supports medical laboratories specializing in genetic screening instruments for reproductive health. Her role involves installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting, ensuring these critical instruments operate effectively. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Caroline's essential role in healthcare was highlighted, underscoring her impact on public health behind the scenes.

Caroline is actively involved in mentorship, advocating for women and immigrants in STEM through organizations like ASET. She emphasizes mentorship as crucial for rising together and encourages others to pursue their dreams despite systemic challenges. Caroline's story exemplifies perseverance, leadership, and the importance of representation in technical fields.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-mekodom-782a6064/

CCWESTT:

CCWESTT focuses on advancing gender equity in science, engineering, trades, and technology (SETT) fields across Canada. Their mission is rooted in addressing systemic barriers and fostering inclusive environments through collaboration, advocacy, and strategic initiatives.

https://ccwestt-ccfsimt.org/

Charting a Course, Navigating Systemic Change:

CCWESTT conducted a comprehensive gap analysis to identify barriers to gender equity in SETT fields in Canada. Themes of this year’s conference stem from those strategic priorities and findings. These themes include 1) Systems Change for Gender Equity, 2) Building Strategic Partnerships, 3) Inclusive Leadership and Accountability, and 4) Best Practices and Innovation.

By addressing these themes, CCWESTT aims to inspire action, foster collaboration, and drive meaningful change towards achieving gender equity in SETT fields across Canada.

Gap Analysis Key Findings:

1. Systems Change Approach: involving all stakeholders—governments, employers, organizations, and institutions—to achieve gender equity in SETT. This approach emphasizes scaling out, up, and deep to address systemic issues comprehensively.

2. Scaling Out: shifting the focus from "fixing women" to transforming unwelcoming SETT cultures. Solutions include educating and engaging male allies, decolonizing SETT fields, and promoting intersectional approaches to knowledge production.

3. Scaling Up: Addressing the lack of legal obligations and accountability through strategic planning and legislative frameworks. CCWESTT recommends working with governments at all levels to establish legal frameworks and track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for equity, diversity, and inclusion.

4. Scaling Deep: Moving beyond performative actions to meaningful change by learning from lived experiences, supporting effective programs like mentorship and Equity Resource Groups (ERGs), and recognizing that equity work should not rely on unpaid labor.

The Smoko Podcast is sponsored by Peggy Workwear:
www.peggyworkwear.ca