Candi Colbourn
Events and Marketing, Women’s Engineering Society (WES)
Celebrate and promote people of diverse backgrounds and experiences in the engineering field. With more women in engineering, we can solve more problems to benefit society.
The Women’s Engineering Society (WES) have a vision of an engineering industry that employs the diversity of the society it serves — to solve the biggest societal issues of our time. This is why the theme of ‘Enhanced by Engineering’ was chosen for International Women in Engineering Day 2024 (INWED).
Celebrating the impact of engineering
Now in its 10th year, this campaign aims to showcase the wide-ranging impact of engineering across various sectors and highlight the invaluable contributions of engineers in improving our lives. Through ‘Enhanced by Engineering,’ INWED aims to demonstrate that engineering offers diverse and rewarding opportunities for individuals with varied interests, talents and backgrounds.
The theme emphasises that engineering is pervasive in almost every aspect of modern life — from communications and transport to building bridges and creating life-saving medical equipment.
Diversity solves engineering problems
Diversity of thought is a cornerstone of innovation, and this is key within the engineering world. Problem-solving benefits from having a range of perspectives; women may approach problems differently than their male counterparts, leading to alternative solutions that might not have been considered otherwise. This diversity in problem-solving approaches can lead to breakthrough innovations, such as wheels on a suitcase or even the three-pin plug created by WES founder Caroline Haslett.
Diversity of thought is a cornerstone of innovation, and this is key within the engineering world.
This kind of problem-solving was evident within the Electrical Association for Women (EAW) founded 100 years ago this year. The EAW was an organisation that would inform, educate and encourage all women to use electricity to improve their lives. This organisation brought engineers and housewives together to act as a liaison between the technical engineers who did not understand what women wanted and the housewives who knew what they needed to improve their lives. It is this diversity that creates innovation.
Women engineers as role models
Increasing the visibility of women in engineering serves as inspiration for future generations of engineers, regardless of gender. By showcasing diverse role models who have made significant contributions to the field, WES encourages more young women to pursue careers in engineering.
Increasing the representation of women in engineering is not only a matter of equity and social justice but also a strategic imperative for driving innovation and meeting the needs of diverse stakeholders. INWED goes some way to hopefully ensuring the long-term success of the engineering profession.
