International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) will celebrate its 11th year on 23 June 2024. The theme for this year is Enhanced by Engineering.
‘This year we will be celebrating the amazing work that women engineers around the world are doing to support lives and livelihoods every day. We are profiling the best, brightest and bravest women in engineering, who have #enhancedbyengineering people’s everyday lives and are helping to build towards a brighter future’ (International Women in Engineering Day).
Women remain vastly underrepresented in engineering due to gender stereotyping, systemic bias and a lack of visible role models. INWED gives women engineers a profile by showcasing the remarkable achievements of women in engineering. Figures released by the Women’s Engineering Society in 2021 indicated that only 16.5% of people working in engineering professions were women. These statistics demonstrate why there is a pressing need to showcase powerful women role models and highlight the diverse career paths available to inspire women in STEM professions.
This year the School of Engineering and Informatics will be celebrating by showcasing the diverse career profiles of academic and PS staff in this Padlet. Successful career in engineering and informatics can have diverse pathways. We aim to inspire and support our students’ lives and livelihoods every day. The display also highlights the shared message: “I pledge to continue to champion the benefits of diversity in Higher Education”. This shows the strong commitment of staff to supporting the careers of women and underrepresented groups.
In addition, research students from the School of Engineering and Informatics are also contributing by sharing their research projects and inspiring messages in a showcase for the School. A display of the showcase is also set up in the Chichester 1 foyer and will be available to visit throughout June and July.
Dr. Elizabeth Rendon-Morales, Deputy Head of the Department of Engineering and Design and EDI Director at the School of Engineering and Informatics says: “We are happy to see this year’s displays as it enables us to visualise the ‘big diversity picture’ at our School. On one hand, we find academic and PS staff showing their commitment and some great examples of diverse career stages and progression to inspire our students. On the other side, we see talented female students showcasing their great effort and the amazing research work they feel absolutely proud of. Both contributions show our community commitment to raise awareness about supporting female students and staff in STEM.
Miss Bella Currie, Communications and Events Coordinator at the School of Engineering and Informatics says: "The EngInf women in Engineering Day display showcase the diverse journeys our faculty members have taken to get to where they are today. Seeing that variety of experiences just goes to show there's no one predetermined road map for making it in STEM fields as a woman. Having this kind of representation and visibility matters, it helps shatter the outdated stereotypes about who belongs, and by celebrating the diversity of journeys our staff have taken, it sends a powerful message that engineering offers rewarding opportunities for individuals from all backgrounds.’
You can access resources and further information on the International Women in Engineering website.