Your journey as a woman in the cleaning industry

My journey in the cleaning industry has been one remarkable journey all things considered. A hotelier by profession, when l moved to the Middle East l went right into hospitality and found a completely different atmosphere from what l was used to, which was somewhat daunting but l easily adjusted. I would say being in the Middle East has produced a tougher version of me than l would have been had l been in a different part of the world. Few years down the line, l moved to the healthcare sector and this brought a completely new understanding of the word ‘clean’ to me and my role as a cleaning professional was redefined.

Gender related challenges in your career

Whilst l have not personally faced any significant gender-based challenges, l have noted insinuations. The good thing with insinuations is they fade once a working relationship is established and someone realizes you speak the same language. I am however glad to say this does look like a thing of the past as the Housekeeping departments in hospitality mostly used to be run by females, it seemed there was an ‘unspoken agreement’ that it was a female role and I actually think this was a bias against male housekeepers at that time. I am happy to see a great increase in male Executive Housekeepers today and a significant increase of female Executive Housekeepers climbing the ladder to head Rooms Division or even become General Managers. The same goes for commercial cleaning, where it was rare to see women, but today a woman at a project site is becoming a common sight.

Advice to young women aspiring to pursue a career in the cleaning industry

Invest in yourself by learning as much as you possibly can. This can be through formal education, attending conferences, reading, researching, linking up with industry experts etc. Just like any other field, the cleaning industry has its own challenges, the COVID era showed us this, so being open-minded, thinking on your feet and the ability to adapt is essential. Know what you want then go get it, keeping in mind to keep a work-life balance. Do not classify yourself by gender as that has nothing to do with your capabilities. Above all, be very ethical and authentic and build strong relationships so that you always have a pool of knowledge/support whenever you need help.