The ‟Women of Asphalt” are aptly named. Launched in 2017 in the United States, the Women of Asphalt (WofA) association started from a well-established observation: in an asphalt industry where men hold the dominant positions, there was a need to find ways to help women move up the ladder more quickly, to ensure that their talents are brought further to the fore. In short, there was no longer any question of settling for the status quo, which would continue to discourage women. ‟Our crucial mission is not only to support the recruitment of women into the industry,” emphasises Arpine Baghdasarian, WofA’s Administrative Director, ‟but also to help them build their careers and retain their commitment to the building and civil engineering industry.” Obviously these objectives relate both to operational positions and to more strategic jobs.
On a daily basis, WofA deploys several tools: a network of skills, experienced members, transfer of know-how, adding partners, comprehensive knowledge of an industry, etc. But above all, the association has designed a programme whose title, Women of Asphalt’s Mentorship Program, says it all: solid and constantly reactivated links between mentors and mentees, so that the former can provide the latter with the means to make their mark in infrastructure companies. ‟Our mentors are mainly women, but there can also be men,” says Arpine Baghdasarian, ‟These people cover the whole spectrum of our industry: their training, experience and responsibilities are varied. There is no one type of mentor: quite the contrary.” This richness means that the mentees are women who acquire powerful levers for building a stimulating career path.
‟Women need help at different stages in their career,” notes Arpine Baghdasarian, ‟when they are starting out of course, but also when they choose to take a new direction.” The woman involved states the extent to which the asphalt industry is strong on particular know-how and how proud people are to contribute to it. ‟The role of WofA is to share skills and experience.” When you compare the density of analyses with the complex situations encountered and the weight of the mentors’ advice, you can see that the association has a lot to offer.
Since 2017 and the year of its establishment, WofA has brought more than 2500 members together (mentors and mentees), with locations in some 17 states in the US. Now is an even more dynamic time: after having relied solely on volunteers, the association has moved up a gear in 2021. For the first time, it has an administrative director, Arpine Baghdasarian, who is responsible in particular for expanding WofA’s audience. In October 2021, the Board of Directors validated a strategic plan based on three pillars: knowledge development and transfer, community spirit and awareness of women’s place in industry. Through this threefold strategy, WofA’s mission remains as strong as ever: full recognition of women in the asphalt trades and in the road industry in general. This task requires a sustained effort: in many cases, when women flourish in positions that are not traditional for them, they have to overcome reticence. The is a rewarding challenge for WofA, as it makes a difference in society.
For its action plan, the women’s association can count on the support of numerous public and private partners. This collaboration works better because all the players involved in the asphalt industry know that promoting women is an opportunity for the industry.