best engineering schools

Engineering's Gender Problem

By Bob Thomas 27 March, 2023 2 mins read

Engineering has a huge gender problem. Engineering is a profession that sees more than 40% of highly qualified women leaving. There are many articles that have been written about the reasons women leave engineering. How can we change this statistic? This article will discuss the major factors that contribute to the problem.

Inadequacy of female role models

A UNESCO report shows that 35% of STEM students in the world are women. Many factors are responsible for this including stereotypes and cultural obstacles, lacks of confidence, lack vision, and lackof vision. It is essential that more female engineers be visible. A way to increase the number and quality of women engineers is to have more female role models. A recent initiative by the Professional School of Software Engineering aims to create such role models.

While there are many male role model in the engineering industry, it is important not to forget that there are very few female role models. However, this is not an insurmountable problem. This problem can be addressed in a number of ways. The first approach is to acknowledge the issue and find female role model. The second way is to search for role models who can be both male or female.

Lack of female leaders in engineering

Recent research has shown that the policies and practices of an organization can partially explain women's inability to lead in engineering. Many women who work as engineers report having good working relationships with co-workers and enjoying engineering tasks. However, some others have complained about poor mentoring and discrimination from their bosses. It could also be because women have not met their needs.

A lack of role models for women is one reason why there aren’t enough female engineers. This makes it difficult to find mentors for the next generation of female engineers. This issue can be addressed by encouraging more women into engineering.

Uneven treatment

Many structural and cultural barriers negatively affect the persistence of women in engineering. Like many high-paying professions in the past, engineering was dominated by men. This has made it difficult to fight inequality by making it harder for women to overcome gendered barriers. These problems can be addressed, however.

You can overcome this bias by prioritizing your inner voice. Women engineers often feel that their views are not taken seriously and that they are not "real engineers." The research also shows that feeling unvalued creates chronic stress and challenges the ability of female engineers to cope with other stressors. This can lead a person to feel unvalued and even discouragement.

Microaggressions

However, microaggressions against women engineers are a problem that persists in engineering programs. Strategies that promote diversity within engineering departments can reduce or eliminate them. These negative experiences can make it difficult for some women to continue in the engineering field. The research will investigate the effects of microaggressions and provide strategies for preventing them.

Multiple studies have shown that microaggressions against STEM-related women are very common. These negative experiences are detrimental to women's psychological health and professional identity. These experiences can be attributed to internalised sexism, as some women claim.

FAQ

What kinds of jobs are available if I am an engineer?

Engineers can work in nearly every industry: manufacturing, transportation and energy, finance, government and education.

Engineers who are specialists in a particular field can often find employment at certain companies or organizations.

As an example, engineers might work for telecommunications providers, medical device producers, or computer chip companies.

Software developers could be employed by websites or mobile apps developers.

Computer programmers could work for tech companies like Google or Microsoft, Apple, Amazon or Facebook.

What do electrical engineers do?

They design power systems to be used by people.

They are responsible in designing, building, testing and installing all types and sizes of electric equipment for residential, commercial, and government customers.

They plan and direct installation, as well as coordination of activities by other trades like architects, plumbers, and contractors.

Electrical engineers design and install electronic devices, circuits, and components that convert electricity into useful forms.

What is an industrial engineer doing?

Industrial engineers study how things work, operate, and interact.

Their job ensures that machinery, plants, and factories run efficiently and safely.

They design equipment and controls to make it easy for workers to complete their tasks.

They also ensure compliance with environmental regulations and safety standards.

Statistics

Job growth outlook through 2030: 9% (snhu.edu)
14% of Industrial engineers design systems that combine workers, machines, and more to create a product or service to eliminate wastefulness in production processes, according to BLS efficiently. (snhu.edu)