It is an age-long tradition for a female Ghanaian child to perform household chores at the expense of going to school, not to talk of venturing into a male-dominated field.
But the story of Juliana Somuah is one that defies this stereotypical lifestyle. Growing up in the neighbourhoods of Soko and Banana Inn in Dansoman, Accra – areas she describes as “ghetto” – Juliana learned early that success will not come easy, so did she take the bull by the horn.
Currently, as a PhD student in Infrastructure and Environmental Systems at the University of North Carolina (UNC Charlotte) and an award-winning advocate for women in engineering, she’s proving that barriers are meant to be broken, not accepted.
“I’m not your typical African woman,” Juliana tells the Ghana News Agency in an interview on how she ventured into a male dominated engineering and facility management field, inspired by his father’s motivation.
“Most times, people think that I have manly attributes, because I’m very driven” she said noting that the drive cultivated through what she calls a “military style of training” growing up as the only girl among three brothers, has propelled her from the streets of Accra to the corridors of American academia and industry leadership.
A foundation built on opportunity and ambition
Despite growing up in challenging neighbourhoods, Juliana’s family stood out. Her father, Charles, worked for over 30 years at Ghana Water Company, managing government water distribution projects across the country.
This exposure to engineering through her father’s work planted the seeds for her future career path. Juliana’s path to engineering was not accidental as her father recognised her unconventional mindset and determination to exceed traditional expectations for women in Africa, actively encouraged her toward Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields.
She said the father knew her mindset of ‘not fitting in’ and doing more than what was expected of women in Africa, “So, I guess he felt like, my daughter will do very well in this field.”
After completing her general arts education at UST and later studying Building Technology (now Construction Technology), Juliana found herself working at the WAPCO (West African Gas Pipeline Company) for six years, transitioning from a National Service Person to a member of staff, managing operations and maintenance on critical infrastructure, without initially realising she was practicing facility management—a field that would later become her specialty and passion.
“That job was facility management, I didn’t know. Because in Ghana, people don’t really talk about FM. I just didn’t know I was doing facility management, but that has now become my love,” she explains.
The American Dream Realised
Frustrated by gender-based limitations in Ghana’s engineering sector and driven by her desire for an environment where she could fully express her capabilities, Juliana started planning her move to the United States in 2019. Despite COVID-related setbacks, she persevered until securing a position at UNC Charlotte.
“I still felt like people were not hearing me well. Even on the job, there are some jobs that they would give to my male counterpart and [say], ‘oh, okay, so as for you, you do the office staff,’ but I felt I could do more.”
The transition to American academia proved both validating and challenging. While her expertise was recognised and valued, she still faced scepticism in her male-dominated field.
To overcome this, her response has been: “Let the work speak for itself. If you know your stuff and you sell your stuff very well, you don’t have to prove so much. Give me a task and let me execute it. If you think that I don’t have all the technical capabilities, give me an opportunity to prove myself.”
Making Global Impact
Today, Juliana serves as a resource person for the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Ghana chapter, working to establish student chapters at the University of Development Studies (UDS), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT).
She’s developing mentorship programmes to introduce young Ghanaians to facility management opportunities and creating pathways for students to attend American conferences and build international networks.
Her impact extends beyond national borders. As one of eight Graduate Life Fellows at UNC Charlotte, she counsels high school and undergraduate students, particularly women, to consider construction and facility management careers. This work recently earned her recognition through an award specifically for promoting women in Facility Management.
Breaking the Silence
Perhaps most importantly, Juliana refuses to be alone at the top, bemoaning the virtual absence of young Ghanaian engineering and FM professionals at the international level, including conferences. The situation has challenged her to engage in mentorship and cultural change.
“There’s one thing that I noticed about the Ghanaian culture. We are shy, we don’t want to talk, we don’t want to mingle. I had to snap out of that thing when I came into this country. The only way to get to the top is talk. Talk your way to the top,” she encourages young professionals.
As IFMA Ghana plans a major conference next year, bringing international members to Ghana, Juliana sees an opportunity to formalise and expand her impact.
She’s building partnerships with universities, developing mentorship frameworks, and creating sustainable pathways for young Ghanaians, especially women, to enter and excel in engineering fields.
Juliana Somuah’s journey from the neighbourhoods of Dansoman to international recognition in facility management represents more than personal achievement. It’s a blueprint for how Africa can harness its human capital by valuing talent over connections, merit over politics, and long-term maintenance over short-term fixes.
Her story challenges African societies to create environments where driven individuals, particularly women, can thrive without having to leave the continent to find their full potential.
By Francis Ntow
GNA
Editor’s note: Views expressed in this article do not represent that of The Chronicle
