Women in Weights and Measures Column
Brandi Harder Rice Lake Weighing Systems
“I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.” – Estee Lauder The NCWM Interim Meeting in January included a session dedicated to Women in Weights and Measures (WWM), where we discussed how we can support each other in what has historically been a “man’s world”. Some women have been uncomfortable speaking at meetings, especially when they are accompanied by supervisors or senior coworkers who are men, and this session gave us an opportunity to speak openly and learn from each other. We began with a small group of women introducing themselves and explaining their backgrounds in weights and measures before opening the session up to a roundtable discussion. The discussion went so well that we needed to cut it off before we went over our time limit— we’re all looking forward to more of these conversations. Our group discussed possible future meetings, making our group an official subcommittee and having women- only sessions permanently on meeting agendas, though these items are still in review. We also discussed future session topics. Some suggestions were workshops for career development, getting younger generations interested in weights and measures, and fostering a community to promote women’s empowerment in the industry. Change can come slowly, but building a community for women in weights and measures and connecting with mentors in the industry will help our members build a stronger sense of
self worth and authority in decision making. Most of us left this first session of WWM with a positive reminder of how many strong women are in this industry and how inspiring they are. NCWM recognized the need to modernize the industry and celebrate women’s contributions to weights and measures. Through WWM, we hope to connect with women around the world and build a global community of powerful women. We can’t for the next WWM session! If you would like to learn more about WWM, visit our webpage.We’re also hosting a Networking Night on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, during the NCWM Annual Meeting in Cleveland, Ohio. Join us at Butcher and the Brewer at 6:30 p.m. in the upstairs dining area to connect with women from all areas of the weights and measures industry.
20 NCWM-News
2024 Issue 2
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