Women need to work harder and prove themselves, where male ability is assumed (Interviews, 2012).
93 A recent study in the UK, commissioned by Stormline clothing company, found that arboriculturalist is considered one of the top ten “most manly” occupations (2015). The nature of fieldwork, being very labour intensive, is laden with male-‐dominance and pre-‐conceived notions of what that entails: machoism, manliness and bravado, wanting to feel invincible, sense of adventure and invincibility (particularly in younger men) (Interviews, 2012). Male participants admitted that this was part of the reason for getting into tree work; one participant described his role as being a “hidden hero” in and of the urban forest. Female participants did not echo the same sentiments. Studies have shown that women are under-‐represented in urban forestry and arboriculture and do not have the same opportunities as men (Kuhns, Bragg & Blahna, 2002; Teeter et al., 1990). According to one participant:
It’s a man’s land. At first, you’re always given a questionable look as a woman. There’s a preconceived notion that you don’t have the skills or knowledge. As a woman you have to work harder and be better. The hard work does stand out, and what really establishes your credibility, is dirt under your fingernails and getting time in the trees (Interviews, 2012)
Women’s first inclusion into the ISA International Tree Climbing Competition (ITCC) was on the men’s 25th anniversary (Interviews, 2012). The International World Championship is held in conjunction with the ISA Annual Conference and provides an opportunity for climbers to showcase their techniques to a global audience and earn a world-‐class title for their region (e.g. North America, Europe, Asia).
To provide context to the demographics in Southern Ontario, using the online public access database21 from the International Society of Arboriculture Ontario
Chapter (ISAO) website which has a public listing of 234 registered arborists across 104 municipalities, only 13% (30) are women. During interviews, what also came to light were the subtle differences, or divisions in how the role of women was viewed
21 ISAO online database, accessed February 16, 2015: http://www.isa-‐ arbor.com/findanarborist/findanarborist.aspx
and valued. For example, with respect to differences in the municipal sector and the commercial sector, one female participant stated:
I was always told that no way would anyone hire a woman in the private sector because a lot of the people I was working with were convinced that I was only hired to fill a quota... they negated all my qualifications. So I was convinced that I wouldn’t be able to leave the City. But that all changed when I went into the private industry (Interviews, 2012).
Another example is how men differentiate women. The increasing and evolving role of women in a male-‐dominated industry means that women have to prove themselves more (Interviews, 2012). Within the industry, some participants (both male and female) admitted that they did not feel that women are physically strong enough to perform the tasks necessary for the fieldwork aspects of the job. It is interesting to note that the value that some male participants place on women was measured against the skill set and contributions that they themselves are able to bring (i.e. physical aspects: climbing speed, strength to lift wood); although things are changing. Some participants felt that women offer a much-‐needed fresh perspective on existing operations; women were described as more organized, detail-‐oriented and more efficient at reporting:
They work smart, not hard, and they use their head instead of their muscles to get where they’ve got to go... Some of them have excelled right across the board as arborists and some hold very good positions in the field of arboriculture (Interviews, 2012).
In addition, there are general differences in physique and the way women approach and navigate work; for example, women climb differently due to their centre of gravity being in their hips as opposed to in their shoulders. Female participants spent a lot of time describing how they had to figure out their own climbing techniques, because the general “tricks of the trade” that were often passed down among men and did not apply for women’s physiques (Interviews, 2012). One male interviewee stated:
95 Women will take a moment and look at the tree; they plan and
assess for a longer amount of time than men do; then they’ll start working. Whereas men will just get up there and then troubleshoot (Interviews, 2012).
Outside the industry, women struggled with stereotypes from clients being skeptical of their ability and downplaying their authority. One female participant shared the following story:
We were standing on the lawn looking at the tree, and the homeowner wouldn’t even look at me. He directed all his questions to [the male crew member] and didn’t care that I was the crew leader and climber on site (Interviews, 2012).
And another:
I walk into a chainsaw dealership: the store owner will speak with the man beside me. A lot of (older) men don’t want to work under a woman -‐ they don’t like taking instructions. They don’t want to take advice or suggestions from a woman. There are cultural differences -‐ society’s ideas of a woman’s place. It’s uncommon and people are not used to women working outside. I work with a lot of men right now. We get along. We have a mutual respect for each other (Interviews, 2012).
Research about women in forestry is scarce (Reed, 2008; Rocheleau & Edmunds, 1997), and research about women and men being sexualized in urban forestry is even less available. Interviews revealed many stories about female field arborists being treated differently, in some cases being the target of derogatory or sexual jokes, in other cases being made to feel unworthy by both colleagues and clients. As one female participant shares:
Working with men in a male-‐dominated industry, I have great and terrible experiences. The most memorable was: ‘get back to the fucking kitchen or the bedroom’ -‐ these were not jokes, they were very serious and hurtful. How do you deal with that? You roll it off. I made the mistake of expressing anger once, then I was labeled as ‘too emotional’ (Interviews, 2012 -‐ female interviewee, age 30-‐45).
What was particularly interesting was that men also shared stories about being sexualized by clients, not necessarily colleagues. Unlike the women, men were in
favour of being perceived as the sex symbols of outdoor workers and often spoke about being invited into peoples’ homes. Overall, both men and women were sexualized in different ways.
What is important to note here is that the younger generation did not have a sense of this dichotomy at all, but younger participants did see remnants of this behaviour in older colleagues. Interviews revealed that as more women enter the trade and prove that they can do the same work, the field is slowing evolving. Women are beginning to feel more welcome; but this has a long way to go. One interviewee stated:
Twenty years ago I would never have thought of being mentored by another male climber. Whereas nowadays there’s lots of young women entering the field and they’re being mentored not only by men, but by women, which adds for amazing support. It is a harsh, hard career choice and so that’s changing the culture (Interviews, 2012).
One male participant shares:
I know a fair amount of women in the industry. I have no idea how some of them have the strength. I’m proud of them (Interviews, 2012 – male interviewee, age range 35-‐50).
In some cases I got the impression that female participants did not want to speak poorly about their male colleagues, despite feeling uncomfortable. This has ethical implications that reinforce the gender bias. Overall, according to most interviewees, the roles and inclusion of women has benefitted the industry. Things are changing, female experts are recognized and celebrated: this is exemplified by the annual Women’s Arboriculture Conference (British Columbia, 2014).
It’s interesting to see many women gravitating to key positions within organizations and municipalities focusing on planning and strategizing. That says a lot for the type of women we are attracting into a male-‐dominated field. You need a strong personality that can stand up to some adversity and challenges to succeed. It is not a level playing field. But I see a lot of women who have success; they’re not average women: they are strong, professional and successful (Interviews, 2012).
97 Looking at gender differences, we are the team builders, and
collegial. Tends to be women who are driving sustainable land development: nurturers, activists, multi-‐taskers, team builders = these skills help manage programs and move things along from an environment perspective (Interviews, 2012).