Women in engineering: changing mindsets

UK: The mindset of young women and their parents needs to change to recognise the opportunities that engineering offers, according to BSRIA chief executive Julia Evans.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s International Women in Engineering Day (INWED), said: “History has shown time and time again that those who study science arguably make the largest impact to the world. Incredible minds provide us with incredible ideas we once might have thought of as unbelievable but are now rooted in our society. Engineers help make the future a reality.”

However, she insists that attitudes need to change: “It is worrying that girls as young as five start defining what they can do and often rule things out due to gender. And further along the timeline – young women’s and their parents’ mindsets need to change to recognise that engineering offers a wide range of exciting opportunities and career development.”

International Women in Engineering Day was established in 2014 by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) to celebrate its 95th anniversary. Since then the day has focused attention on the great opportunities for women in engineering, at a time when it has never been more important to address the engineering skills shortage.

This year’s INWED tomorrow is dedicated to raising the profile and celebrating the achievements of female engineers throughout the world. This year’s theme is Raising The Bar.