IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2008 - 26

The women

and a wonderful
ing math, science,
were more informed
role model for
and engineering
about what role
a l l o f D u c a b 's
disciplines. Here,
young engineers.
I found women
engineers play in society
Like the women
engineers exudat young ages and want to
engineers of
ing confidence
instill an understanding
Dubal, Ms.
and a passion
of math, science and
Althani's knowlfor the value of
engineering in their
edge and experttheir work. I
ise goes beyond
wanted them to
children at a
merely
understandshare their stories
young age.
ing her own engineering
with our IEEE Women
job responsibilities. She
in Engineering Magazine
understands the entire Ducab
readers so that their recipes for
Company's operations and business.
building confidence can be heard around
Engineers in Dubai see the company's
the world. What is more important is
global picture and understand how
that I want to dispel the myth that these
their roles impact the success of the
women in black are not respected, powbusiness. This approach provides a
erful women in their culture.
great environment for developing
One unifying theme that all women
teams and allows engineers to see foraround the globe share is life balance.
ward paths for advancement.
Balancing childcare, a career,
Hassan Omar, general manager speand a home is always a reoccial cables unit at Ducab, explains the
curring theme. I asked them
process of turning raw materials into
how they manage to balance
copper cabling for communications.
work with their families. One
Coming from a background of testing, I
woman is eager to answer and
was intrigued to hear how it is possible
explains her daily schedule.
to test such massive quantities of cable.
She gets up very early, preHe told me about the high voltage test
pares her children for school,
facility and seeing my eyes open wide in
prepares meals, and then after
awe, he smiles and promises to take me
work, helps her children with
to view the testing room. Ducab has a
homework. After they go to
250 kV/5 MVA resonance test, a high
bed she does some work from
voltage withstand test, and a partial dishome to get a head start at
charge test, which gives results of less
work for the next day. I don't
than 1 pico-coulomb, the lowest
know where she finds the
achieved in the world.
energy for this daily routine,
Karen Panetta and Keyana Tennant take time out
It is there on the factory floor of
but one thing is for sure,
during their visit to Ducab to meet with Hassan
Ducab
that my adventure begins. We
women
like
this
are
meticuOmar, general manager, special cables unit.
enter a building full of copper cabling in
lously organized and have
various stages of the manufacturing
mastered time management.
There is no negative stereotype associatprocess. The shiny copper is more beauMy next visit was to Ducab, the Dubai
ed with female engineers here. They
tiful than anything I have seen in all of
cable company. Ducab was inaugurated
laugh when I told them that many
the 800 gold sauks in Dubai. Huge disks
by Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
young girls in the United States believe
of thick copper greet us, and thin strands
It was the first power cable manufacturer
that pursuing engineering, math, and
of copper looking like angel hair spun in
in the world to achieve the environmenscience makes them less socially appealthe air as they are intertwined to create
tal certification, ISO 14001, in 1997.
ing to their peers.
the cabling. The facility is spotless and
Maryam Ali Saeed Althani, our
Globally, the lack of confidence in
meticulously organized. Like Dubal,
WIE regional coordinator, is an elecyoung women is one of the known barriDucab offers many diverse opportunities
trical engineering manager at Ducab
ers that prevent young girls from pursu-

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEYANA TENNANT

Manager, Mr. Khalid Essa Abdulla Buhumaid. The women are all dressed in the
traditional black coverings along with a
head scarf. I'm actually overwhelmed by
their numbers. I have never been in a
room with this many women engineers
during my entire engineering career.
I learned that engineering careers are
encouraged and not considered for men
only. The women shared their stories of
what inspired them to become engineers
and the underlying theme is always the
same, the desire to pursue a career that
will make a difference and help improve
the quality of life for humanity and to
help advance their country. I found that
the women were more informed about
what role engineers play in society at
young ages and want to instill an understanding of math, science, and engineering in their children at a young age.

IEEE WOMEN IN ENGINEERING MAGAZINE

SUMMER 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2008