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Celebrating INWED24
To celebrate International Women In Engineering Day, we caught up with Dipali Pandya and Samantha Moreira to find out what the day means to women in engineering and their thoughts on this year’s theme of the best, brightest and bravest women in engineering, who have #enhanced by engineering people’s everyday lives and are helping to build towards a brighter future.
Dipali Pandya – Civil Estimator
Why is International Women in Engineering Day important?
INWED is an international awareness campaign which celebrates the incredible contribution women engineers and their achievements in the engineering profession. It is very important to encourage and inspire the next generation of female engineers. It also promotes gender equality in engineering professions.
This year’s theme is the best, brightest and bravest women in engineering, who have #enhanced by engineering people’s everyday lives and are helping to build towards a brighter future:
Who is your choice for the best and bravest woman in engineering?
Elsie Eaves was an advanced Structural engineer. Elsie Eaves was born in Idaho Springs, Colorado in 1898, She was the first woman to earn a degree in civil engineering from the University of Colorado in 1920 at the age of 22. She was considered a role model for young females interested in engineering. She was a founding member of the American Association of Cost Engineers.
How have they inspired change in the industry?
Elsie Eaves contributed to the design of large dams, including the iconic Hoover Dam. Eaves was a champion for women’s rights and promoted women’s involvement in the engineering field and other male-dominated work fields.
What is their legacy or influence on Engineering?
Elsie Eaves was the first woman to be elected to the American Society of Civil Engineers and served as president of the Society of Women Engineers. Her legacy as a pioneering female engineer and advocate for women in STEM serves as a powerful reminder of what can be accomplished, inspiring and empowering the next generation to do even more.
Can you give us an example of how female-led engineering or design has enhanced people’s lives?
Edith Clarke was born in 1883 in Maryland. In 1919, she was the first woman to earn a degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
A lead electrical engineer best known for her invention of the “Clarke calculator”, a graphical device used to solve complex engineering problems, she also developed the graphical analysis method, which allowed engineers to analyse complex electrical networks using diagrams rather than complicated equations. Clarke’s innovative work helped to pave the way for modern electrical engineering.
Why is it important to have greater balance across genders in engineering?
What is an engineer’s greatest skill? Engineers can see problems from different angles, identify, analyse, and find creative and efficient solutions. So, it is important to have gender diversity in the engineering field as it leads to a wide range of perspectives that drive innovation as a diverse team is uses collective brainpower to tackle complex problems.
Embracing gender diversity in engineering is not just about numbers; it’s about creating an inclusive and welcoming culture where everyone can thrive. A diverse workforce leads to a richer exchange of ideas and greater mutual respect, which promotes a positive workplace culture and boosts morale.
Samantha Moreira – Junior Engineer
Why is International Women in Engineering Day important?
It is a day where we can be encouraged to continue in the job market at the engineering field., in which we know that the vast majority are men. It is a day that we celebrate and exchange information in both, professional and personal areas, whereas women we feel more comfortable discussing issues in our daily lives.
Who is your choice for the best and bravest woman in engineering, and how have they inspired change in the industry?
Enedina Alves Marques was the first woman to graduate in Civil Engineering in Brazil in 1945. In my view, she is an inspiration for challenging the academic and social standards of a society that had some antiquated customs. At that time, a woman studying and holding a position as an engineer was considered a violation of society’s customs and was often judged and misinterpreted. After Enedina, many women started their studies in engineering and were able to build their own lives.
Seeing women occupying positions and performing functions in the field of engineering positively influences many women who plan to start a career as an engineer; this allows for a wide range of choices.
I believe female-led engineering has done a great job, with actions that always seek to improve working conditions, not just gender equality but seeking solutions for women who have recently immigrated, have children, or are single parents.
Why is it important to have greater balance across genders in engineering?
It is important because everyone has their own viewpoint, ideas, experiences, and different ways of thinking, which we can share and collaborate with each other.
The Business View
Civil Project Partners’ approach to building a balanced organisation was summed up perfectly by Director Ryan O’Neill.
“As a small business, we don’t have any affirmative action policies to ensure balance, we work as hard as possible to find the very best possible person to fill a role and become a key part of our small team of engineers.”
“By taking this approach, we have grown our business and increased diversity, with four females out of our ten employees. When I think about other engineering companies, which average around 17 % female participation and back to my uni days where the student female/male ratio was 1:4, we’re proud of the balance and team we have built.”
“We have also championed diversity of experience and background with Dipali and Sam bringing global experiences from India and Brazil to Civil Project Partners. The result, we believe, is a welcoming environment where we provide opportunities for flexibility that suit the needs of our team and our business,” said Ryan.