Eng. Mona Fakih is the Director of Water at the General Directorate of Hydraulic and Electrical Water Resources, at the Lebanese Ministry of Energy and Water.
With a strong personality and of course an excellent knowledge of the water field gathered through her work in the academic, private and public sectors, she occupies the most important position after the General Director.
What would you say are the main challenges in your work as a woman?
Although women in our Ministry, and the Lebanese public sector in general, are increasingly assuming important roles, for example as Heads of sections or services, it is still difficult to find us in strategic and decision-making related positions. At parity of titles and experience, men usually are still the preferred choice. Moreover, differently from our male colleagues, and despite our knowledge and expertise on relevant topics, we often have to fight to get our point of view taken into account.
What have you done to overcome these obstacles/challenges?
Through the years of my engagement in the sector, I have learnt that perseverance and diplomacy, as well as providing good examples of collegial behavior, are some of the necessary ingredients to overcome challenging situations. It is also very important, in this sense, to make men feel appreciated and respected in their views, even if they cover lower places in the hierarchy. Furthermore, forgiveness towards those who acted inappropriately is also important to avoid resentment and improve collaboration. Finally, I have also tried to learn more about tools and approaches, success stories and lessons learnt from other countries in relation to women empowerment and gender mainstreaming in the water sector to improve the situation in my working environment.
What would you recommend to other women in similar situations (in the water world)?
I have already mentioned the importance of perseverance, diplomacy and forgiveness, which are actually virtues typical of women. In addition I would also like to stress that it is extremely important not to feel forced to act like men because diversity is richness and different views and approaches are essential to achieve a sustainable world.