Timber iQ August- September 2018 // Issue: 39 | Page 46

FEATURES
Despite challenges, women are excelling in the timber sector.
well-known species, and also offers training courses in wood
identification techniques to government and non-
government agencies and officers who are responsible for
the curbing of illegal trading of protected timber species.
“I am very sensitive to the challenges faced by women,
not only in the timber and construction sector, but at home,
in the workplace and in the world, especially at such a
uniquely fraught juncture in our global story. While the
construction sector in South Africa is still very clearly
male-steered, I have only experienced the sector as
welcoming, helpful and open to change,” says Jennifer Rees,
director of Haas&DAS Communications, an agency geared to
promoting brands in the construction, engineering and
industrial sectors.
Instrumental in the launch of Timber iQ magazine, Rees
boasts a master’s degree in English studies with a focus on
gender studies from the University of Stellenbosch. As an
avid promoter of timber as an industry and a building
material, Rees says that by working on the publication, she
had the opportunity to learn a great deal about timber, its
versatility for design and construction and very importantly,
the inimitable properties that support its status as a
naturally greener material with which to design and build.
“Something else I became aware of during this time was
the disparity between the superb, world-class skills and
products coming out of this sector in South Africa and a gap
in the marketing and promotion thereof; at the time, I felt it
was long overdue for the timber industry to be more bold in
telling its stories,” says Rees.
Rees explains that the prevailing economic and political
climate in South Africa is making itself felt in the industry
44 AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2018 //
with local and international investment carrying tenuous
undertones. “It is especially important when it comes to
timber products and construction, or any construction for
that matter, that quality standards are maintained,
regulations are adhered to and stakeholders uphold their
respective roles and responsibilities in the value chain.
During less certain economic times, it can be tempting to opt
for lower quality products or workmanship, or to take short
cuts; both the public and the trade should avoid taking this
route and be on high alert for such activity,” she says.
TRANSFORMATION AND ACHIEVEMENT
Dyer says she has had a very good experience dealing with
clients in the timber industry and has been accepted as a
specialist in the field of wood anatomy and identification.
Having said this, Dyer feels that transformation is definitely
taking place in the industry. “There is visible transformation
in the market place with regard to gender and race and this is
very pleasing, but I believe that there is still some way to go.
“There should be more opportunities for, in particular,
young people, so that their potential can be discovered and
unleashed. The limited number of wood scientists and the
relatively small number of graduates coming into the
workforce is also a challenge,” says Dyer.
“The wheel is slow to turn, but I believe it is turning.
While government can offer the private sector a framework
for transformation, it is incumbent upon the players in the
sector to meet these criteria, not just for the sake of
compliance, but to create meaningful and sustainable
See more on page 46