For many years, International Women's Day has been associated mainly with red carnations. Maybe that's why this holiday is not one of the most popular, especially among the older generation of women.

International Women's Day is an internationally recognized holiday set by the United Nations on the anniversary of the strike of 40,000 New York seamstresses in 1908. They fought for the abolition of the ten-hour working day, against low wages and poor working conditions.

The date of March 8 was established after the 1st World War. Since 1975, we have commemorated International Women's Day as a day of international women's solidarity for equality, justice, peace and development.

Women in the male world of heavy industry

Today, women are also finding employment in the predominantly male world of heavy industry. At U. S. Steel Košice, women make up more than 14 percent of the total number of employees.

More than 8 percent of the total number of managers are women in management positions. We have three vice presidents, four general managers, 26 directors, one executive manager. There are 16 women working in the position of head of the department and 11 women can be found in production in the positions of foremen. The average age of women in our company is 53 years and the average number of years worked is 30 (for men it is 24).

We asked some of them what surprised them the most about working in heavy industry and whether it is difficult for them to reconcile a managerial position with taking care of their family.

Elena Petrášková, Vice President and General Counsel

I have to admit that after thirty-five years in this industry, I thought that nothing would surprise me anymore. Working in the cyclical industry gradually teaches us how to cope with various challenges that come at regular intervals – one gets used to a certain rhythm and knows what to expect. However, the situation with COVID-19 was exceptional. We found ourselves in unknown waters, where the health of all of us was at stake. At that time, I was intensely aware of how strong our steel unity is. It was this test that showed that our employees can act together, in solidarity and with respect for each other.

It was equally important to reconcile work with family responsibilities, which is the result not only of good management at home, but also of strong support from the partner. It is often said that behind every successful man there is a woman, but the same is true of successful women with families – behind their success is a man who can be a support and often takes on the role of mother and father in one person.

Katarína Fitzová, General Sales Manager for Domestic Markets

Heavy industry has traditionally been considered a male work environment. From a woman's point of view, even though the beginnings were more challenging, I have convinced myself that professionalism, good and factual arguments, good knowledge of the product and services offered by the company and, in my case, work with the customer or colleagues in the team are more important than, for example, gender. From the point of view of production, the emphasis on safety, which is an absolute priority for work, deserves great recognition in heavy industry, and we can see it here at USSK.

I think that it is very difficult for every woman in a managerial position who has a family and especially school-age children. In addition to work, we are mainly mothers. We take care of children, family, cook, carry children to clubs, do homework with them when they are sick, rush to see them, go to the doctor and think about them all the time ...  We would need the day to have at least 36 hours.  Personally, I try to organize my work program, which often happens outside of regular working hours, so that it is as efficient as possible in terms of time, I try to handle all work tasks on an ongoing basis and carefully plan everything in advance.

 Monika Moravanská, Executive Manager SVA1, Expedition
I was surprised by the complexity and interconnectedness of processes in heavy industry. From the outside, one often imagines mainly physical demands, but in practice it is an environment with high demands on accuracy, safety, planning and teamwork. At the same time, I was very positively surprised by the professionalism and expertise of people in this industry, as well as the strong emphasis on security culture.  

The biggest challenge in reconciling a managerial position is especially effective time and energy management. A managerial function brings a high level of responsibility, the need to react operatively and often work flexibility outside of standard working hours. At the same time, the family naturally requires full presence and attention. The difficulty lies not only in logistics, but also in setting priorities, boundaries and the ability to be mentally present in both roles. At the same time, however, I believe that with good planning and support from the environment and, above all, open communication, a long-term sustainable balance can be achieved.

WIN connects not only women across the company

The Women's Inclusion Network (WIN) operates at U. S. Steel Košice.  "We support professional growth, mentoring, networking and visibility of women so that they can develop their full potential. We are a platform for people who believe in collaboration, diversity and an open corporate culture. We focus on topics that are not only for women, but for all employees - regardless of gender, position or age.  We create a space for sharing experiences, developing skills, mentoring and mutual support. We connect people, ideas and generations so that everyone can feel heard, respected and motivated to grow," says Brigita Kurucová, WIN leader.