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International Women in Engineering Day 2022

International Women in Engineering Day 2022

Celebrating International Women in Engineering Day 2022

Happy International Women in Engineering Day (INWED22)! Okay, we know it is a little-known awareness day on June 23rd, but it is definitely something we should be making more noise about. Last year we began to open up the dialogue around women working within the industry and the challenges they have faced. As we have discussed before, women have faced many barriers when working in a male dominated industry such as ours. Young women are often encouraged to train for roles that are gender specific. This is why celebrating an international awareness campaign like INWED is so important but what do we know about this relatively new annual event?  

 

What is INWED?

As of June 2021, it is reported that 16.5% of engineers are now women. Now in its ninth year, INWED was set up by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) back in 2014. Recognising the lack of representation and support, the first National Women in Engineering Day was held in the UK on 23rd June 2014 to celebrate the 9th anniversary of WES. It is the only platform of its kind and has since received UNESCO patronage (2016). The following year it went global and became the International Women in Engineering Day as we know it now. Since then, INWED has helped to raise awareness of issues women in egineering face. It has helped give a voice to those women and shown that women can be equally innovative.  

 

International Women in Engineering Day 2022 promo image  

 

INWED22

Over the previous years, WES and INWED have helped to encourage and support more young women entering the many engineering industries around the world. Last year they celebrated the engineering heroes and role models along with their inspirational, real-life engineering stories. This year’s initiative and celebration of women will focus on inspiring future innovators and inventors around the world. It's aimed at celebrating the amazing work women engineers around the world are doing. WES and INWED will be profiling the best, brightest and bravest women in engineering. In particular, they will focus on those who dare to be different and find a solution to the world’s problems and are building a brighter future. There will be a range of in person and online events held around the country celebrating the achievements of women in engineering. You can find out more on their website.  

 

Engineering as a Career

A career choice in engineering today requires the ability to combine both well-established scientific principles and cutting-edge innovations. This will allow them to design, build, improve, operate, and maintain a variety of complex devices, structures, systems, and processes. In the UK, the teaching of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics – formally STEM) is now a widely accepted part of the curriculum within both Primary and secondary schools. This allows children of all ages access to the core foundations of engineering opening up a range of career opportunities. Attracting the younger generation of girls into an engineering field will eventually elevate some of the stigma women face in these industries.  

 

Types of Engineering Careers

There are many different industries that rely on an engineering workforce, where you can build a career. From more widely known fields such as aerospace, electric and gas engineers to a more digital field within computing, the spectrum of career potential is vast. Within each field there are many different branches of engineering too, these will often overlap within the other fields. Let’s take a closer look at some of these.  

  1. Mechanical Engineer

In this field you can be expected to design, manufacture, inspect and maintain vehicles of all kinds. This includes road vehicles, construction, and farm vehicles/machinery etc.  

  1. Electrical Engineer

In this field female engineers can be expected to design, test manufacture, build, control, monitor and inspect all kinds of electrical devices and systems. This includes a range of devices and systems from microscopic circuits to the national grid.  

  1. Civil Engineer

In this field you can be expected to design, build, maintain and inspect large scale infrastructure. This includes motorways, railroads, bridges and tunnels, dams, and airports etc.  

  1. Computer Engineer

In this field you can be expected to design and build computer hardware components, computer systems, networks, and software etc. As computers are used in pretty much everything these days, you could easily find a career in many different industries.  

  1. Environmental Engineer

In this field you can be expected to prevent, reduce and eliminating sources of pollution that affects air, water, and land. You will be expected to monitor and measure pollution levels, determine sources of pollution, arrange clean up and rehabilitate polluted sites. Additionally, you may also be expected to design new, better ways to prevent, reduce and eliminate sources of pollution.  

  1. Plumbing and Heating/Gas Engineer

Whether it be on a domestic, commercial, or industrial level, you can be expected to install, repair, and maintain plumbing and heating systems. This will include bathroom and kitchen wet appliances, boilers, radiators, and entire central heating systems. This is probably one of the most prolific field of engineering. It is also one of the most male dominated fields.  

 

Two handrawn female engineers for INWED 2022  

 

Growing demand for women in the trades and engineering fields

As we have said before, there is a growing demand for women within both trades and engineering industries. What's more, is that there has also been a rise in campaigns globally to entice women to train and work in these fields. A diverse workforce is integral to providing a comprehensive service. There needs to be continued progress and innovation within these fields as we collectively face tougher living conditions. No matter the chosen field, we need fresh eyes on global and local engineering issues. Work to educate, train and support women within the engineering and trades industries must continue. This will support the next generation and help increase the profile of women in these fields to help shape the world.  

 

Like this post? Why not check out our previous post on Women in Trades Industry. Keep up to date with our Women in Trades Industry series on our social media channels: Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.   Find out more about WES and INWED.