Nuts and bolts of producing more female engineers
Rose Muchichu
As the world seeks to address gender inequality, there are several areas women are underrepresented. The engineering field is one of them.
Despite efforts to increase the number of female engineers, women still form a very small percentage in the profession.
Traditionally, girls have been expected to show a preference for what are considered “softer” subjects and disciplines while boys are encouraged to pursue sciences.
Although there are roughly equal numbers of boys and girls taking Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects, the number of girls drops drastically as they progress to higher levels.
While engineering remains disproportionately dominated by males, the imbalance does not paint the whole picture of the state of the industry.
Although less than a quarter of engineers are women, the number has been rising consistently in recent years.
The engineering field has become a more inclusive as more women defy gender stereotypes to succeed in a profession perceived as masculine.
The trend is attributed to several factors. According to Chief Executive Officer Schneider Electric East Africa Caroline Koech, the rising number of women in the industry is due to the encouragement of girls by different stakeholders to take STEM subjects.
Many professional bodies, such as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, have partnered in these efforts.
But even as more women choose to pursue courses in the engineering, there is still a lot that can be done to improve the trend.
To encourage more women to join engineering sector, Koech urges industries to enhance their image.
Engineering companies, she says, should set up programmes to motivate greater numbers of women to join the profession.
This would involve working with colleges or other organisations to create awareness of the different jobs and career options available in engineering and manufacturing.
Learning institutions, companies and professional organisations also need to create an atmosphere that is conducive for everyone, which will undoubtedly make the industry better.
More opportunities in apprenticeship, sponsored vocational training or further education would attract talented young women into the engineering and manufacturing industries.
Once women have acquired skills on the profession, engineering firms should consider retaining them.
This requires supportive management teams with flexible attitudes. With many women trying to balance a career with motherhood, there is a demand for flexible working options, such as the option to work more hours over fewer days, work part-time or work from home.
That is the kind of balance that women like Snaida Mmbone, a senior electrical engineer at Duff Engineering Limited, aims to strike.
Mmbone, who is only woman in the electrical engineering department, is encouraging more women to join the fight for gender imbalance in the workplace.
Men, she adds, should be part of the solution by encouraging women to join the profession and supporting those who are already in.
As the world undergoes the Fourth Industrial Revolution, there has never been a better time for girls and women to be engineers.
With the changing attitudes, more women will find their space in the engineering sector. — The writer is director of communication, Duff Engineering Ltd — [email protected]
