Rising with the RISE
AT the age of 33, Meagan Volau has risen through the ranks of a male-dominated field to become the Computer Aided Design (CAD) manager for Revitalising Informal Settlements and their Environments (RISE).
Originally from Labasa, her family moved to Suva in search of a better life.
“I completed my primary and secondary education and went to Fiji National University (FNU) where I got my diploma, then later advanced diploma in civil engineering,” she said.
After working a few years, she decided to go back to school but was hit with the news that her mother was sick.
“I went back to school because I wanted to get my certification in project management, then around the same time my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer,” Ms Volau said.
“So, trying to work, school and at the same time support her was a bit overwhelming. So I stopped working for a while and just continued with my education while being there for my mom.”
Ms Volau said that as a woman, she faced many challenges in the workplace.
“I feel like women need to work twice as hard and if you’re lucky you’d get only half the recognition.
“One of the challenges we as women constantly face is to constantly prove ourselves that we are worthy to be taken seriously and have our opinions and ideas taken seriously.”
Nevertheless, she said she’s worked with incredible men in her field and the whole experience was something that she’d always be thankful for..
“One of the major benefits of being in this field is that there are other women who encourage each other and lift each other.
“We share experiences and ways in which we can overcome personal challenges.”
Ms Volau believes her work has helped shape her into the woman she is today.
She is encouraging more women to join.
“Take the punches. You need to roll with the punches and prove yourself. Seeing the benefit of it is the best part of the job,” she said.
“The reward you can get is that your peers are confident in your performance and the fact that you can take on new tasks that they can do.
“Every choice is a stepping stone, you know, it’s a learning experience.”