• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Engineering Management Institute

  • About
    • Meet Anthony Fasano, P.E.
    • EMI’s Mission, Vision & Values
    • Meet Team EMI
  • Content
    • Blog
    • Podcasts
      • The Engineering Career Coach Podcast
      • The Civil Engineering Podcast
        • Women in Civil Engineering
        • Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs
        • The Civil Engineering CEO Podcast
      • The Structural Engineering Channel
      • The Geotechnical Engineering Podcast
      • The Engineering Quality Control Podcast
      • The Engineering Project Management Podcast
      • AEC Engineering and Technology Podcast
      • Women in Engineering: Success Stories from STEM Professionals
      • This Week in Civil Engineering
    • TV
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Recommended Reading
    • Sponsors
  • Services
    • Training
    • Hiring Solutions
    • Webinars
  • FE-PE Exams
  • Clients
  • Contact
  • Training

  • About
    • Meet Anthony Fasano, P.E.
    • EMI’s Mission, Vision & Values
    • Meet Team EMI
  • Content
    • Blog
    • Podcasts
      • The Engineering Career Coach Podcast
      • The Civil Engineering Podcast
        • Women in Civil Engineering
        • Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs
        • The Civil Engineering CEO Podcast
      • The Structural Engineering Channel
      • The Geotechnical Engineering Podcast
      • The Engineering Quality Control Podcast
      • The Engineering Project Management Podcast
      • AEC Engineering and Technology Podcast
      • Women in Engineering: Success Stories from STEM Professionals
      • This Week in Civil Engineering
    • TV
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Recommended Reading
    • Sponsors
  • Services
    • Training
    • Hiring Solutions
    • Webinars
  • FE-PE Exams
  • Clients
  • Contact
  • Training

Women in Engineering – We Still Have a Long Way to Go

June 10, 2019 By EMI

Women in Engineering – We Still Have a Long Way to Go is a guest blog by Jacob Dillon

Women in EngineeringHello – Anthony Fasano, P.E. here, President of EMI.  As we have been developing our Current Management Abilities Potential (CMAP) diagnostic tool for engineering firms, we have realized through our research that there is a big difference in how women in engineering versus male engineers interact with their managers.  To that end, we have been doing more research on female representation in the engineering world including the history of women in engineering, and so I am happy to share this informative article written by guest author Jacob Dillon.

Although certain improvements have been made in recent years, the fact remains that the world is still facing a significant deficit of female talent pursuing engineering careers.

Women represent only a modest portion of the engineering workforce in Europe, while they make up to no more than 19.3% of the engineering workforce in the United States. In South Africa and Korea, engineering field accommodates under 20% of female talent as well.

It’s recognized that factors contributing to meager female presence in the field are the lower percentage of female students in engineering degree programs. As well as gender-based stereotypes that have established engineering as a male-dominated area. However, history remembers numerous women who left their mark in the field, in spite of unfavorable circumstances.

Female Engineers Throughout History

The year 1867 was the major tipping point in engineering history. The University of California at Berkeley was the educational institution that awarded Elizabeth Bragg a bachelor’s degree in engineering. Making her the first officially recognized female engineer in history. Elizabeth, however, never worked as a professional in her field, as she decided to dedicate her life to her family.

The first degree in electrical engineering was received by Edith Clarke in 1918 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Edith worked at General Electric as a salaried electrical engineer for 26 years. And she was the first female Professor of Electrical Engineering in the United States. Teaching at the University of Texas for 10 years. In 1921, she received a patent for the Clarke calculator.

Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian silver screen star, remembered by her iconic roles in ‘Ecstasy’, ‘Lady of the Tropics, and ‘Ziegfeld Girl’. However, this beautiful actress had a lot more to offer than just a pretty face. She was a self-taught inventor and a pioneer in the field of wireless communication. Her contribution in developing the basis for spread spectrum technology (utilized in cellular and mobile telephones today) was finally recognized in 1997. Lamarr was the first woman who received the Invention Convention’s BULBIE Gnass Spirit of Achievement Award (the “Oscars of inventing”).

Around the time when Lamarr received this stunning recognition, Gwynne Shotwell, an American mechanical engineer, and businesswoman, was already skyrocketing her career. Today she is a President and COO of SpaceX. An American aerospace manufacturer, and space transportation services company founded by Elon Musk in 2002. Shotwell is highly respected for being a competent airspace engineer and business runner. But also for excellent communication with clients and keeping the smooth operation of SpaceX under Musk’s unorthodox leadership.

Challenges Faced by Female Engineers

As history has shown, women engineers have managed to find ways to express their intellectual capacities in the past. And they still manage to do so today. However, it’s evident that the recognition of their contributions often comes very late. And their lives are repeatedly filled with the struggle to show their worth.

Although we have come a long way since the 19th century and the centuries before that, there are still reason for concern. A significant number of women in the engineering workforce often state that their professional environment proposes challenges only female talent seems to encounter.

Ninja Essays contributor Selena Brown highlights that understanding the challenges women in tech workforce face is vital, but we mustn’t stop there. We must strive to improve the current stance of women in engineering. And find ways to attract and retain female talent in this growing, promising field.

Empowering Women to Join the Tech Workforce

When inequality persists, everyone suffers. Talented women miss out on valuable opportunities to acquire technical education and employment. While the technology sector can’t benefit from their valuable perspective and insights. Empowering women to join the engineering workforce should start early, by encouraging young girls to pursue their dreams and dedicate themselves to achieving their goals.

Women in Engineering

Conclusion

We live in a rapidly evolving world where technology predominates as one of the fastest-growing economic sectors. Even though the time of great opportunities is upon us, under representation of women in tech is still an issue that needs addressing. Engaging, developing and promoting female talent remain some of the decisive actions required to stimulate and expedite the much-needed change in the tech workforce worldwide.

Women in Engineering

About Jacob Dillon

Jacob Dillon is a professional writer and distinctive journalist from Sydney. Being passionate about what he does, Jacob likes to discuss stirring events as well as express his opinion about technological advancements and evolution of society. Find Jacob on Twitter and Facebook.

What steps do you think can be taken to better engage and promote female talent in the world of engineering?

We would love to hear any questions you might have or stories you might share about women in engineering.

Please leave your comments, feedback or questions in the section below.

  • If you enjoyed this post, please consider downloading our free list of 33 Productivity Routines of Top Engineering Executives. Click the button below to download.

    Download the Productivity Routines

To your success,

Anthony Fasano, PE, LEED AP
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success

Related Posts

  • The Engineering Management Institute Launches Women in Civil Engineering Podcast Series
  • TECC 014: The Engineering Career Coach Podcast – Three Key Pieces of Engineering Career Advice from Randy Over – ASCE National President
  • TCEP 001: The Civil Engineering Podcast – How the Civil Engineering Podcast Can Help You in Your Career
  • TECC 70: Developing the Engineering Leader Inside of You – EYOS 7 of 7 – The Engineering Career Coach Podcast
  • TCEP 002: The Civil Engineering Podcast – How My Tour in Afghanistan Transformed Me Into A Civil Engineering Leader

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Civil Engineers, Clarke Calculator, Empowering Women, Engineering Workforce, Female Engineers, Female Engineers Challenges, Gwynne Shotwell, Jacob Dillon, Oscars of Inventing, SpaceX, Tech Workforce, Wireless Communication, Women in engineering

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

And Get Custom Content Delivered To You Weekly

PM Training

engineering management lessons

career readiness

Categories

  • AECT – AEC Engineering and Technology Podcast
  • Blog
    • Business Development
    • Business/Entrepreneurship
    • Career Goals and Challenges
    • Communication/Public Speaking
    • COVID19
    • Credentials
    • Enlightenment
    • Ethics & Integrity
    • Job Search/Salary/Relocation
    • Leadership/Management
    • Mentoring
    • Networking/Client Relations
    • News and Events
    • Organization/Productivity/Time Management
    • Personal Development and Professionalism
    • Program Management
    • Project Management
    • Travel
    • Work Life Balance
  • Civil Engineering
  • Engineering Career TV
  • Engineering Technology
  • TCEP-The Civil Engineering Podcast
    • Business Development
    • Business/Entrepreneurship
    • Career Goals and Challenges
    • Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs
    • Communication & Public Speaking
    • Credentials
    • Ethics/Integrity
    • Infrastructure
    • Job Search/Salary/Relocation
    • Leadership/Management
    • Mentoring
    • Project Management
    • Women in Engineering
  • TECC Podcast-The Engineering Career Coach Podcast
    • Business/Entrepreneurship
    • Career Game Changers
    • Career Goals and Challenges
    • Communication/Public Speaking
    • Credentials
    • Enlightenment
    • Job Search/Salary/Relocation
    • Leadership/Management
    • Mentoring
    • Networking/Client Relations
    • News and Events
    • Organization/Productivity/Time Management
    • Personal Development and Professionalism
    • Project Management
    • Work Life Balance
  • TEPM – The Engineering Project Management Podcast
  • TEQC – The Engineering Quality Control Podcast
  • TGEP – The Geotechnical Engineering Podcast
    • Tunneling Series
  • TSEC-The Structural Engineering Channel
  • TWiCE
  • Uncategorized
  • WIE Success Stories
  • Women in Engineering
  • Youtube

TECC Sidebar Featured Final

ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE

We Can Help You:

  • Build solutions to attract talented professionals.
  • Develop your staff’s people skills.
  • Create career roadmaps for your staff.
  • Provide PM training for your professionals.
  • Build custom development programs.
  • Scale sustainably.

Location:

50 E. Ridgewood Avenue #129

Ridgewood NJ, 07450

800-920-4007

Copyright © 2023 • All Rights Reserved • Property of Engineering Management Institute • Terms of Service • Privacy Policy

SPECIAL DOWNLOAD

33 Productivity Routines of
Top Engineering Executives

x