Center for Natural Resources and Sustainability

“I was interested in physical processes, light, the operation of engines and installations, the conversion of one form of energy into another. After going through a phase of curiosity, the understanding came that I needed good practice in addition to theory,” says Dilorom.

After graduating from the Polytechnic Institute Dilorom worked:

At the garment factory “50 years of USSR” she worked as an electrical engineer (1985-1987), then as an engineer on repair works of Industrial Engineering Department (from 1987 to 1993), at Cascade of Vakhshski Hydroelectric Power Stations, Barki Tojik Open Joint-Stock Holding Company, Sarband, Tajikistan, then as a Head of Industrial Engineering Department (1993-2009). In 2009 she started to work at Sangtudinskaya HPP-1 JSC, Sangtuda village, Danghara district, as a Leading HSE Engineer (2009-2017) and since 2018 she has been working as a Head of Occupational Health and Safety Service at Sangtudinskaya HPP-1 JSC.

On why she enjoys this particular job, Dilorom says the work brings her pleasure and a sense of fulfilment.

"My job is very interesting. I'm the kind of person who likes to acquire knowledge about how power equipment is made and how it works. I have never regretted my choice in all my studies and activities, and I am convinced every day that I made the right choice. I am confident that I have become a good professional, and above all, I feel that I can help others. In general, I believe there is no job that is not interesting. Any profession can be interesting, you just need to look carefully and choose what you like. My work brings me satisfaction and a feeling of fulfilment.

Challenges

Being an electrical engineer in the energy sector doesn't surprise anyone. Unless, of course, you're a woman. Dilorom was used to being stared at in amazement by her friends and family members, who have grown accustomed to her unusual profession over the years. And then she had a role model, it was her uncle – Sirodzhev Bakhrom Sirozhevich, who supported her and she became convinced that being a high tech professional is not only possible for men.

“It wasn't difficult to get a job in a profession. What matters is not gender, but knowledge and skills. Employers always asked me if I can do the job, and if I say yes, they hire me”, Dilorom says.

Dilorom now works as a Head of Occupational Health and Safety Service, she believes that her job requires attentiveness, stress tolerance, responsibility and, most importantly, quick decisions-making. But in Dilorom's experience, women are just as suited to this job as men. They are attentive, literate, good at managing documents and working with staff.

Moment of inspiration

Two of the most memorable events in Dilorom's life relate to her professional activities in the energy and construction sectors:

“One was the damming of the Vakhsh River, the flooding of the pit of the Sangtudinskaya HPP dam. It was my first and only construction, in which I took part when the fourth unit was commissioned. The dam is one of the nine high dams (75m) of the Cascade on the Vakhsh River. It was an unforgettable sight. On the eve of the flooding of the pit, which will be submerged tomorrow, it was the last time I saw the openwork dam, which blends wonderfully and organically with its natural environment.

Another unforgettable experience took place at the Sangtudinskaya HPP-1, during the commission of the first unit for which I was responsible for. When the site manager gave the “Start” command, pressed a button and the turbine begun to accelerate slowly, the engine room with those present erupted in applause - that's the feeling of happiness." - says Dilorom.

Acknowledged success

Everyone considers himself or herself a successful in life, work and society. When asked: “Why can you consider yourself a successful person?”, Dilorom replied:

“I consider myself successful person because of my ability to get along well with others, including employers and employees. My friendly nature and effective communication skills, help me to build relationships and achieve results, especially in team projects. I also believe that my success comes from trying new challenges and working hard. For example, I once volunteered to manage a project for my company involving 15 employees. I had never had such a large number of staff before. However, because of my hard work, teamwork, effective communication and clear goals, I managed the team effectively and we completed the task ahead of schedule to develop EnMS documentation and implement an environmental management system in the company in accordance with ISO 14001:2004.

During my work I was awarded Certificates of Merit by Barki Tojik Open Joint-Stock Holding Company, Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Tajikistan and the medal “Excellent Power Engineer of the Republic of Tajikistan”.

Of course, I consider myself successful in other areas of my life as well. Perhaps one of my greatest successes is that my two children, who have graduated from high schools and educational institutes, have grown up and become independent individuals with education and professions!”

Gender inequality arises not only in the context of climate change as a physical reality, but also in climate change debates and negotiations. This is reflected in the fact that men dominate all levels of the climate change debate, from science to policy, from the local to the global level. This has implications for climate change policy.

Women can play an important role in climate change policy because of their gendered knowledge of things like water management.

“Although women in rural areas are highly depend on the environment, they are usually not represented in decision-making processes on climate change. Several studies have shown that when women are more likely to spend money on human development if they have control over household finances. Women also tend to be more risk-averse than men and make safer decisions. Nevertheless, in 2008, the Commission and the EU Adaptation Policy Board did not address gender issues at all. Moreover, gender roles and subsequent institutional and social pressures can create limits to adaptive capacity. Most climate change scientists and organizations agree that policy makers should work with both women and men and take them into account at all levels,” says Dilorom.