We Need More Women In Engineering - Here’s Why

Strong. Resilient. Capable. Just some of the adjectives you might think of when thinking about what it means to be a woman. 

Women make up over half of Australia's population - 50.2% to be exact. Yet only 12% of engineers in this country are women - let that sink in. Considerably higher is the stat in Europe at 35%. But why is it so much lower here in Oz? 

here’s no particular reason that there aren’t more Aussie women in engineering. It could be down to flexibility, the fear of unconscious biases or just that it’s never entered their mind. 

But why do we desperately want more of our gals in engineering in the first place? 

Diversity of thought

The world always needs diversity and balance - and a massive benefit of a diverse workforce is that different people consider problems from different angles. 

Did you know that seat belts are designed entirely with men in mind? As a result, women are 27% more likely to be injured in a car accident from poor design. Ouch.

This could be solved by employing more creative, intelligent and innovative women in the engineering industry, providing diversity of thought and bringing with it solutions to suit everybody. 

There are endless examples of this lack of diversity impacting design solutions. From our community designs to public bathroom requirements - it needs to change (lookin’ at you, sis!).

Improved working environments

 A study found having more women in the workplace improved job satisfaction for all genders - pretty cool, right?

Equality in the workplace leads to increased staff motivation, fosters mutual respect and a richer environment everyone can feel comfortable in. 

Not to mention increased banter. Everyone’s a winner, baby.

Increased productivity

A diverse workforce is made up of heaps of different experiences, a broader range of skills and all sorts of varied perspectives. 

This means lots more ideas and solutions can be bounced around.. Engineering in particular needs problem-solvers, so it makes sense that the more women are hired, the more diverse the team, the more solutions presented. Bam. 

Our world is changing, and we need to change with it

As the world changes, so do our stereotypes. And where there’s a job, there’s a place for all genders.

Engineering is an in-demand, varied and interesting career choice where women are increasingly breaking stereotypes, showing that engineers can excel in the field - no matter their gender. 

That’s why we teamed up with Engineers Australia to bring you all the info you need to suss out next steps and what it’s all about.

So if any of this speaks to you, and you’d like to find out all the deets on a career in engineering, check out our academy Engineering Your Future. 

Australia - we got this.