RT: Have you faced any prejudice being a woman in a mainly male environment? If so, how was this dealt with?
Yes, and it took me years to realise the extent. I had older colleagues who did not trust my skills and preferred to wait to deal with one of my male colleagues, despite me being the specialist in the subject. At a job interview, I once was told I was lying and that I couldn't possibly be an engineer because of my manicured hands. And then, there are different layers of sexual harassment, too.
Insight is terrific, and I regret much of what I put up with. Most of those happened within a Manufacturing environment and, for many years, as a young female professional, I thought they were just the things I had to put up with if I wanted to work in the industry I loved. On my first day on the job, I was asked if I wanted to be treated like a girl or "one of the guys", so I assumed I had to put on a brave face and endure these things if I wanted to be part of the team. Management wasn't always equipped to support accordingly, but I think that is changing. I feel safer and supported at my current workplace, but I know this is not everyone's experience in the industry.
RT: Have you experienced equality with pay and promotion?
As far as I've known, yes. I feel like my managers and peers have recognised my hard work.