14 SDG 5 – Gender Equality – Team 14

Team Reflection

What is social good? It is what benefits the most significant number of people in the most extensive possible way (Investopedia). Investopedia states that capitalism-based social good should not exist only to provide maximum potential returns for shareholders but also to serve the common good. One way to do this is to partner with the government or other agents to solve social problems and inspire their employees to help society (i.e. clean air, water, healthcare, etc.). Overall, every business should be driven by social good to ensure that it serves the common good. Constructora Capital was aware of the need to cater for the women and girls rights and equality on all the doings majorly in Canada (as our center of concern) though might venture all across the world as the challenges and problems are the same.

What?

Our story business, Women who inspire women in transport, Constructora Capital is putting Mujeres que construyen into action, a program designed to advance gender equality and increase the responsibilities of women in society. The program strengthens the labor force of women skilled in industry-related technical abilities and provides financial rewards to contractors that enhance the number of days worked by women. The project empowers women to become change agents by promoting resilience, equality, dignity, and well-being in their communities. The program has the potential to stimulate novel business strategies in the construction sector, including but not limited to women-focused services, training initiatives, technology integration, diverse leadership, sustainable practices, and community outreach (Women Who Build // Mujeres Que Construyen).

With a focus on diversity, sustainability, and opportunity for women in construction, these projects seek to address industry concerns. Innovations in business, influenced by “Women Who Build / Mujeres Que Construyen,” have the potential to revolutionize the construction sector in Canada by fostering efficiency and gender diversity. Businesses can launch mentorship programs, training courses, and services targeted specifically at women. Adopting sustainable practices, encouraging diverse leadership, and embracing technology for safety are some strategies. Interacting with communities guarantees that projects serve society, promoting a more socially conscious, sustainable, and inclusive construction sector (Government of Canada, 2019).

So what?

We have been learning an overview of sustainability in the business world throughout several of our business courses throughout college. This project focused on specific reasons for a business to include awareness and attention to supporting sustainability. COIL has allowed us to reinforce our learning regarding sustainability and how every business has the potential to include a goal, or goals, to promote a common good.

This project involved analyzing a connection between Women and the world in construction sites not only there but also to the vast growing world. Considering that also both genders are well equipped with knowledge on sectors that are under way.

This project also reinforced our previous knowledge since it enlightened us that we have to empower women in our different societies to take part in the growing sector of the economy and also be part of the betterment of the community at large. We were challenged that also women can become change agents by promoting resilience, equality, dignity, and well-being in their communities. The program met our assumptions because it has the potential to stimulate novel business strategies in the construction sector, including but not limited to women-focused services, training initiatives, technology integration, diverse leadership, sustainable practices and all in all it gives an opportunity to gender equality.

Now what?

Following through there innovation from Women who build from the AIM2flourish platform we believe in ourselves and are ready to implement on search highlighted points for the betterment of creative and critical thinking and empower women. They are:

Tackling Gender-Based Discrimination:

Firstle, addressing gender-based discrimination is crucial. The goals of both programs are to combat prejudices and discrimination based on gender that could prevent women from advancing in the construction business and other fields. They aim to establish settings that are welcoming and honor women for their abilities and accomplishments. As future businesspersons, we must actively and continuously work towards a more inclusive and equal environment.

Promoting Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment:

Secondly, by advocating for gender equality and women’s empowerment, specifically in the construction industry, we will be contributing towards a more equitable and inclusive society.
These programs support sustainable development by advancing gender equality. Their goal is to establish more sustainable and fair societies, acknowledging the interdependence of social, economic, and environmental variables.

Protecting Equal chances:

Moreover, ensuring equal chances to women and girls is essential to unlocking the full potential of the different individuals not just in the construction industry, but in society as a whole. SDG 5 and “Women Who Build / Mujeres Que Construyen’” both promote equal chances for women in the workplace, in school, and in decision-making. By leveling the playing field, they hope to enable women to realize their full potential and thrive.

As future business leaders, integrating these basic principles into our processes of decision making in the future will be paramount to ensure the promotion and success of the sustainable goals. By promoting women’s empowerment, we are not only contributing to the advancement and integration of all individuals into society, but all promoting innovation, creativity and different points of view.

In conclusion, the Sustainable Development Goal 5 and “Women Who Build / Mujeres Que Construyen” align in a way that they both emphasize the need to empower women and achieve gender equality as a means of creating a more inclusive, just, and sustainable world. We are confident that having this knowledge with us will exemplary make us better and composed business persons in the future as we shall both consider growth and development of both genders more so women.

Through our analysis of “Women Who Build / Mujeres Que Construyen”, we have found several key insights that altered our understanding and influenced the way we will make decisions as future businesspersons. Firstly, we have learned to be creative and keen to know what society requires, particularly of the changing trends in the economy. By being proactive, we can identify future opportunities within different industries. Additionally, this cross-cultural experience has been an opportunity to grow and expand in our knowledge. We have gained a greater understanding on the interconnectedness of the different SDG goals. We are now more conscious about the main objectives of SDG 5 and are now more aware on how to integrate it into our future decisions as future business people. Overall, this project has transformed us into more conscious and reliable individuals that are committed to promoting a positive change in society.

What did the team learn from this cross-cultural experience in the context of what you were taught in your courses?

We have learned from this cross-cultural experience that each country had their own challenges and different ways of addressing sustainability issues regarding our SDG 5. We have gained valuable insights into the complexities of sustainability in the context of the different countries we are all from- Canada, Kenya, and Spain. Despite having learned about these SDG goals in previous courses that we have taken, COIL has allowed us to have a more hands on approach to understanding these goals, specifically SDG 5 (Gender Equality). Additionally, this experience has broadened our horizons and has also enriched our knowledge and understanding of the SDG goals in the real world. We have also understood that it is crucial for businesses to embrace diversity and equal opportunities for both men and women in order to ensure a sustainable success of the different businesses in the future.

A) How did the learnings in your courses supplement your team work?

The learnings from previous courses have equipped us with the skills of working as a team with different people as well as background knowledge of the different SDG goals. However, we all agreed that this was a unique experience since we had never met previously, nor in person, and had some important issues to address, such as the different time zones in which each of us was in. Despite this challenge, we overcame it with no problem and worked well together by adapting to our unique situation.

B) How was the work conducted (describe how you shared the tasks)?

Group activities have gone pretty smoothly throughout the duration of the project and all members were very cooperative and considerate. However, as mentioned previously, there were some difficulties dealing with the different time zones as the group members were from different parts of the world like Spain, Kenya and Canada and we reside in different time zones. Nevertheless, as a group we were able to reach assignment goals for every week, from setting up the group call to discussing the submission and taking the group pictures.

C) Identify what worked and what did not work:

Lastly, this cross-cultural experience demonstrated that there are many issues that are not just unique to a certain country or area, but a lot of different countries in the world. However, working on such a complex and deep project with students that one has never met nor seen in person before, poses additional challenges that one would otherwise not have when working with other students from our different home universities (e.g. different time zones and setting meetings). Nevertheless, our team is overall really pleased with the different students that we have had the chance to work with since we have had such great chemistry from the beginning and really worked as a team to turn in each assignment, each member contributing our own unique points of view in the weekly team discussions.

Individual Reflections

Christina

Engaging in this experience has been profoundly enriching, offering me the chance to connect with individuals from diverse countries and cultures. It has provided invaluable insights into how despite sharing the same assignment, we bring unique perspectives and opinions to the table. Coordinating meetings across different time zones presented challenges, yet our collective determination enabled us to overcome them seamlessly. Despite the initial hurdles, our group has fostered easy communication and collaboration. This experience has underscored the significance of embracing diversity in problem-solving and decision-making processes. Moving forward, I look forward to continuing to engage in such cross-cultural exchanges, recognizing the immense value they bring to personal and professional growth.

Wafiyah

My overall experience in the group was positive, and I got along well with everyone. Overall, the COIL initiative encouraged me to be more open, educated me about various cultures, and strengthened my bonds with classmates. Despite the fact that we are in different time zones and cannot interact in person, I was still able to establish relationships and get along with everyone. The COIL project has made me realize how important the SDGs are.

References
Kenton, W. (2022, August 26). Social good: Definition, benefits, examples. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/social_good.asp#:~:text=The%20capitalism-based%20definition%20of%20business%20states,or%20financial%20independence%20for%20all%20citizens.&text=The%20capitalism-based%20definition%20of,independence%20for%20all%20citizens.&text=definition%20of%20business%20states,or%20financial%20independence%20for.
Muñoz Ramos, F., Mora, L., Fernández, J. S., & Aragon Meza, A. (n.d.). Women who build // Mujeres Que Construyen. AIM2Flourish. https://aim2flourish.com/innovations/women-who-build-mujeres-que-construyen