Engineering news
The number of women in engineering has almost doubled in the last decade – from just over 25,000 to more than 50,000 – the campaign group said, as it marked #1ofTheMillion Day today (10 June). Thanks to an increase of more than 350,000 women in core Stem roles in the last 10 years, women now reportedly make up 24% of the core workforce.
Today, Wise said it was “time to put a face to the million”. It invited women in Stem roles to upload their photo to an online collage, to celebrate the “significant milestone” and inspire more women to join Stem roles.
“We’re thrilled that so many people have joined in with the campaign today, and hope to see more throughout the year,” said Wise CEO Helen Wollaston to Professional Engineering. “It’s been wonderful to read all the stories of women who are proud to work in Stem, and inspiring others to join them.
“With women making just 24% of the Stem workforce, we have a long way to go, but we know the future looks good with so many amazing role models. We’d love to hear more stories to show the diverse faces of the million women – so please keep signing up!”
IMechE chief engineer Dr Jenifer Baxter told Professional Engineering: “As both a chartered engineer and a chartered scientist, hearing that there are more than 1m women working in core Stem activities is fantastic news.
“It will hopefully bring a wider engineering perspective to some issues that Stem aims to solve, and will show younger women exactly what we are able to achieve in Stem areas.”
The engineering sector has tried to increase the number of female engineers in recent years, but challenges still remain. According to a 2019 Engineering UK report, girls drop out of engineering education at every level. Companies also struggle to retain women, with calls for increased flexibility and more promotions to senior roles.
Wise is also showcasing 20 previous winners of its Wise Awards, to highlight “the individuals and organisations whose stories have the most potential to inspire others to follow in their footsteps”.
International Women in Engineering Day takes place on 23 June.
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Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.