Committee on Women in Engineering (WIE)

Many reports worldwide indicate that the engineering sector is currently experiencing a huge skills gap, which continues to widen yearly. The rapid emergence of digitization and innovation has further underscored the new requirements needed in the workplace, and the lack of available talent to fill those gaps.

The WiE is committed to capacity building programs which will:

• Attract a diverse future generation;
• Champion the reduction of the gender digital divide;
• Work with partners, provide guidance on creating and maintaining inclusive cultures;
• Create opportunities for employers to drive strategy;
• Extend the focus of our diversity and inclusion activity beyond gender to other underrepresented groups and recognize the impact of intersectionality;
• Engage engineering PEIs in using the case studies to build a culture of inclusion across the engineering profession;
• Use our membership to identify innovative policies, programs, measures and conditions needed to attain gender balance, eliminate violence and promote inclusive representation in engineering.

WiE believes that there is a global problem with equitable or fair representation of people of different genders in engineering and that the only by the realization of a truly inclusive and diverse engineering sector, can the world enjoy the creativity and innovation that comes from different lenses and perspectives, and subsequently achieve sustainable economies that work for all and leave no-one behind.

To achieve this, WIE will work to:

1. Support, reinforce and participate in existing National or International programs to promote workforce diversity and amplification of the aim of capacity-building.
2. Use social media presence to support and promote global conversations around gender diversity in engineering, using the #WFEOWomen hashtag.
3. Aim for visible presence globally of the work of WIE at International Conferences.
4. Develop resources to showcase the work of WIE, such as banners, flyers, PowerPoint presentations to be used by our members.
5. Work with WFEO to ensure that members understand the actions that are expected of them to promote gender diversity and inclusion in engineering.
6. Promote and celebrate national awareness days including World Engineering Day, International Women’s Day, International Women in Engineering Day, and International Day of the Girl and amplify the profiles of our members and national members in celebrating these days.
7. Use metrics and member feedback to identify countries where capacity building and outreach activities are most required, and those which are making good progress.

Theme 1 Leads: IR Prof. Dr. LEONG Wai Yie (Malaysia), Eng. Sharon Mabengwa Musonda (Zambia).