Meet Maleaka Nadeem | Inspiring Women in Engineering

1. Tell us what you do at Transport

I am currently on secondment, acting as the Associate Director Assurance on Sydney Metro. My substantive role is a Systems Engineering Manager on the Digital Systems Program.

2. What's your proudest moment?

Other than having my three wonderfully children, giving the joint keynote presentation at the Australian Systems Engineering Workshop in 2019.

3. What advice do you have for other women thinking about a career in Engineering?

Are you sure? Raising two girls, I often think about this question. I believe if you have a passion in problem solving you should definitely pursue a career in Engineering. If you are passionate about what you do, you will be able to work through obstacles to have a rewarding career in engineering.

Despite facing difficulties early in my career, I can see significant changes occurring in most organisations to promote and enable women to have careers in Engineering. Women no longer have to choose between a career and raising a family. I see Transport for NSW leading the way to support women engineers make meaningful contributions to projects ensuring they reflect the needs of the diverse community we serve.

4. How can we transform the future of women in engineering?

Stop fixing women (based on a book of the same title by Catherine Fox) and give women a seat at the table.

Sometimes initiatives aim on fixing women to be the perfect employee, which tends to be based on men, rather than resolving the structural barriers women face in the workplace.

Research has shown that women are not very good at promoting themselves. By providing women with equal opportunities to roles or inviting women engineers to contribute to projects will ensure we meet the diverse needs of our communities.

5. Tell us something that people may not know about you?

Not sure if there is anything… I share a lot! I love cake and my favourite is Pavlova!