AIRAH (the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating) has established a new group, the Women of AIRAH, to help promote diversity, representation and inclusion within the ranks of HVAC&R.
Established in late 2016 and recently ratified by the board, the Women of AIRAH (WOA) group will work to develop AIRAH’s strategy for supporting women and increasing their participation in both AIRAH and the HVAC&R industry at large.
“It is of great importance that the women within our industry are both acknowledged and supported,” says AIRAH CEO Tony Gleeson, M.AIRAH.
“AIRAH understands that women are underrepresented in HVAC&R, and we believe that the creation of the Women of AIRAH group is an important step forward if this is to change. Women of AIRAH will not only provide women in the industry with a forum to voice issues of concern, but will also work to make HVAC&R an attractive prospect for those looking to take the next step in their career.”
The Women of AIRAH group will work with local AIRAH divisions to run events, networking sessions, mentoring, support and other initiatives.
AIRAH has now finalised the group’s state committee representatives, and is delighted to announce Ura Sarfejoo, M.AIRAH, as the inaugural WOA Chair.
“The Women of AIRAH group is about improving diversity and the representation of women in the industry,” says Sarfejoo. “It’s important for women to feel included. For the sake of the profession, engineering needs more women to get involved, so this AIRAH initiative is incredibly exciting.”
The Women of AIRAH state committee representatives are:
Nithiya Mohan, Affil.AIRAH – WOA Secretary (ACT division); Ura Sarfejoo, M.AIRAH – WOA Chair, Mikaila Ganado, M.AIRAH – WOA Vice Chair (NSW division); Jessica Holz, M.AIRAH (Queensland division); Jenny Smith, Affil.AIRAH, (Northern Territory chapter); Susan Tohu, Stud.AIRAH, (South Australia division); Victoria Totten, AM.AIRAH, Camilla O’Leary, Affil.AIRAH, Cara Ryan, Affil.AIRAH (Victoria division); Peta Blight, M.AIRAH, Ying Han, Affil.AIRAH, (Western Australia division).
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