Did Connie Crawford, the first-ever female chief engineer at the New York City Transit Authority, ever experience blatant sexism? After all, since 1981, she has been a civil engineer who frequently used to be the only woman in a room of hundreds.
Yes, she says, but she hardly noticed it. "One reason I've succeeded as I have is that I grew up with four brothers," she says. "The joshing among my siblings was good preparation for a male-dominated career. I am simply comfortable being among men. Maybe [at work] I had guys say stupid stuff or was in a meeting where someone ignored me. But I didn't let it bother me."