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For the second year, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is backing the First Women Awards, which recognise pioneering women across UK industry, who are helping to open opportunities for other women.
The Institution is encouraging female members to nominate themselves, or be nominated for, the prestigious ‘First Woman in Engineering and Manufacturing’ award.
Support for the event represents part of a concerted effort by the IMechE to address gender imbalance within the sector by encouraging a new generation of female role models. The percentage of female engineers in the UK is still only around 7% or 8%. The UK fares the worst of all European countries in this respect. Those with the best equality statistics are Portugal, where 40% of engineers are female, and Latvia, Bulgaria and Cyprus, where women make up roughly 30% of the engineering workforce.
The First Women Awards, held in association with Lloyds Banking Group, were created by the CBI and Real Business in 2004. Previous winners of the engineering and manufacturing category include: Paula Bell, finance director of engineering group Ricardo; BAE submarine designer Rosalind Murray; and Alexandra Nash of Frazer-Nash, who received the award from IMechE director-general Stephen Tetlow in 2011.
The IMechE said it was proud to support the First Women Awards for the second year. By providing female engineering role models, it said the initiative could inspire a new generation. “We encourage individuals and organisations to take part, by putting forward nominations for these prestigious awards,” it said.
The entry deadline for the 2012 First Women Awards is 13 April. The awards ceremony is held on 28 June at the Grand Connaught Rooms, and will be hosted by BBC presenter Clare Balding. The First Women Awards are also supported by BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Land Rover and Centrica.
For more details go to http://fwa.realbusiness.co.uk/