Issue 18 - January 2015

Member Newsletter

Contents

President's Message 1

President's Message

INWES Member News 2

Dear members of INWES

In other exciting news, INWES initiated its second

ICWES1 6 Conference 10

Happy New Year! 201 5 is the Year of the Sheep -regional network at ICWES1 6. The African Regional
Network (ARN) had their kick-off meeting on 22 nd

INWES Awards 11

an animal who, as well as being warm and peaceful,

October during ICWES1 6, based on their steering

is known for having a strong mind! I hope it brings

committee organized by ten African countries. We

you luck, and you all have a happy and effective

look forward to more news from the ARN, which weyear!

are confident will be instrumental in fostering
regional activities in Africa.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of
you for making 201 4 a great year for INWES. Our

At the AGM held on 24 th October - during

triennial meeting, the 1 6th International Conference

ICWES1 6 -of Women Engineers and Scientists (ICWES1 6) -elected. The new President and President-elect werewith the theme of “global exchange for change” -then elected by these new board members at thesubsequent board meeting on October 25 th . Among

took place in conjunction with WE1 4, the annual
conference of SWE. From the 23 rd to 25 th ofUpcoming Events 12
The New INWES Board 12
About INWES 13

eighteen new board members were

the new board, eight directors were newly elected

October 8,1 00 participants gathered in Los Angeles,

and ten directors stayed on from the previous board.

USA, to make the conference a great success.

I am honoured to have been re-elected as theAmong them

EventsEngineers Australia ASEAN
Engineering Conference

Singapore1 1 th - 1 3 th March 201 5

were 281 attendees from forty-six

President and happy to announce that Liettecountries. I would like to express a heartfelt thank-

Vassure from Canada was elected as President-elect;

I look forward to having more of you involved in

you to all the participants and speakers, and the

Joan Graf as Treasurer; Margaret Ajibode as

INWES

host organization SWE. In particular, I would like to

Secretary General; and Gail Mattson, Marlene

individually, or as part of organisations, you will

express my sincere appreciation to the President of

Kanga, and Roseni Dearden as Vice Presidents. The

continue to be empowered through the INWES

SWE, Elizabeth Bierman, for hosting ICWES1 6, andseven of us will serve as the Executive committee. I

network. I also welcome any suggestions andto Gail Mattson for serving as the organising chair

hope, with the help of the new directors, to continueideas at any time of the year. INWES will try, as

of ICWES1 6. The success of the meeting was theto pursue our many activities with as muchalways, to support you as much as we can.

fruit of the collaborative efforts of all the members

enthusiasm and success as our past directors madeand both Boards of Directors from SWE andpossible. We sincerely appreciate our previous

We hope this world becomes more peaceful by

INWES. Finally, I would like to acknowledge themembers for their great contribution for INWES:

pursuing collaboration rather than competition.

twenty travel grants

former President Sue Bird for her wisdom andsupported by UNESCO,

Samsung, PNNL, BNL, EnergX, and our othersponsors .

leadership over the past nine years,
President-electWe are happy to have celebrated the 50th

Monique

Moutaudforformerher

activities;

and

hope

that

both

We hope this world becomes sustainable byproducing new knowledge.

tremendous efforts working with UNESCO to secure
INWES travel grants and develop regional networks,

We hope this world becomes a gender-equal

anniversary of ICWES, which first started in 1 964 informer Secretary General Jung Sun Kim for her

place through straightening what is skewed.

the USA, and it was exciting to return to America

extendiveafter fifty years. The INWES Board and helpfulcommunicating for INWES, and Okon Uduakobong

We hope this world becomes rich enough tovolunteers

for initiating the African network.

offer the next generation a hopeful life throughtrawled throughthearchivesandefforts

inbookkeeping

anddocuments from a half century of ICWES, tosharing resources.

present our ‘her-story’ at ICWES1 6. I am certain

201 5 will be the start of a three year term for thethat all participants benefited from the bidirectional

INWES board. We have to make strategic plans so

I hope to have another good year with you todiversity at ICWES1 6. International members could

that INWES will have better visibility, especiallywork together and make changes for a better

experience the well-organized SWE spirit, whileamong youngsters. We hope to add mentoring

world.

SWE members could learn about the many uniqueactivities in addition to our regular conferences, forefforts and cultures of women in STEM worldwide.

example. There will be a Regional conference in

ICWES1 7, the next ICWES, was announced at the

201 5, and the Asia Pacific Nation Network (APNN)

Annual General Meeting (AGM) and will be held in

meeting will be hosted in September by WSTEM in

201 7 - hosted by the Indian WISE in Dehli, India.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Warm regards,

Kong-Joo Lee, Ph.D.
INWES President

INWES Member NewsWES award for young
inspiring engineer
Lucy Ackland, UK
Young engineer Lucy Ackland, who works
for Renishaw a world-leading
engineering technologies company inStaffordshire, England - has been awarded
the Women's Engineering Society (WES)
prize for her groundbreaking work in 3DPrinting.
She received the award at the prestigious
IET Young Woman Engineer of the YearAwards Ceremony which took place inLondon on 1 0th December 201 4. The
Young Woman Engineer of the YearAwards aim to find female role models to
help address the UK science andengineering skills crisis.
Recognising outstanding female engineers
has never been so important; recent
statistics from the IET's Skills and Demandin Industry survey showed that women
represent only 6% of the engineering
workforce in the UK - the lowest
percentage in Europe. Further IET
research showed that only 1 % of parentsof girls were likely to encourage theirdaughters into engineering, compared to

1 1 % for parents of boys.

and retention more female-friendly. But
it's also a result of the lack of inspirational
Lucy said: "I'm so happy to have won this engineering role models for girls - which isaward - it means a lot to be recognised for where our Young Woman Engineer of thethe work I do in a really exciting, Year winners can play a vital role."
upcoming industry. I'm pleased to beconsidered a role model for future Dawn Bonfield, WES President, said: "Thegenerations of female engineers because I Women's Engineering Society is delighted
believe engineering is a really enjoyable that this award goes to Lucy Ackland, whocareer choice but sometimes people are has already done an enormous amount to
put off by misleading stereotypes."engage and inspire the next generation of
female engineers. We are looking forward
Michelle Richmond, IET Director of to working with Lucy this year to do even
Membership, said: "The lack of women in more for young people, and crucially theirengineering is a very significant problem, parents, in changing stereotypes of thecontributing to skills shortages which engineering sector and especially of thedamage the economy. The shocking reality apprenticeship route into engineering.
is that the UK is missing out on half of its Congratulations Lucy."
potential engineering and technology
workforce by failing to attract women into Chris Pockett, Head of Communications
the industry. It also means that women are at Renishaw plc. said: "We are very proudlosing out on interesting and rewarding of what Lucy has already achieved during
career opportunities.
her engineering career with Renishaw and
her tireless work, often in her own time,“The difficulty in attracting women into to promote STEM-based careers to young
engineering in the UK is down to a people. The WES Prize is fantastic national
combination of things: from the careers recognition of this work and we know that
advice girls are given in schools, to schools she will continue to be a great ambassador
not instilling girls with the confidence to for the engineering sector over the
opt for science and maths at A-level, coming years."
through to employers needing to do more
to make their approach to recruitment Women's Engineering Society (WES), UK

Positive Experiences at the Young
Woman Scientist Camp
When women are not given equal opportunity to contribute toscience, technology and engineering (STEM) a country denies
itself its full complement of scientific minds. This was the key
message shared by Dillip Pattanaik, a founding member of
Women in Engineering India, at the 201 4 APPN & MAPWiST
conference held in Seoul, South Korea earlier this year. We were
given the opportunity to attend this conference as participants at
the Young Woman Scientist Camp.
Dillip’s message highlighted the critical importance of increasing

Issue 18 - January 2015

In this issue INWES wants to celebrates its
talented young members - a new generation of
inspiring STEM innovators and leaders!

women's presence in traditionally male-dominated STEM fields.
The conference highlighted the severe underrepresentation of
women in these fields in the Asia-Pacific region. Althoughcountries like New Zealand and Australia are leading the way inwomen’s representation there is still a lot of work to be done. As
a Chemical Engineering and a Computer Science student, wewere no strangers to the difficulties faced by women in thesefields, but the conference gave us a clear, and rather daunting,insight into just how much adversity women face in these fields inother countries. However, it also highlighted the vast number ofpeople and organizations working to improve this situation, andmany of their approaches were discussed.
The active recruitment of women to science andengineering at a high school level has certainly
raised enrolments in science and engineering
based courses. However, this does notnecessarily translate to more women completing
degrees and being employed in these fields, andwill not alone ‘break the glass ceiling’ and allow
more women to progress to management level.
Marlene Kanga from Australia presented statistics
and the underlying issues creating this “leaky2

pipeline” of women leaving the STEM field. Marlene highlighted professors, from so manysexual harassment and inflexible working environments as major different countries anddeterrents for women looking to begin or continue a career in backgrounds.
science and engineering.
Women have the ability toThis conference started many conversations about these topics. provide industry with a full
Talking about these issues is a crucial part of fighting them, and complement of scientificthese conversations were all the more meaningful when young minds through their ideas,
engineers and scientists, just beginning their careers, are able to experience, and different
be a part of them. It was hugely valuable that so many young ways of approaching andwomen were invited to attend as part of the Young Woman solving problems. Gender
Scientist Camp. One day of the conference was devoted to this diversity across all industries
camp, which provided us with a platform to further discuss these needs to be encouraged andproblems, and create valuable connections with other young the sooner that this reality is
women in STEM.
recognised the earlier theseindustries can make progress toward reaching their full potential.
The overall conference theme was a call for change across all The opportunity to attend this conference allowed us to see how
countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Women need to be actively progress towards this goal is being achieved and how much we, as
encouraged into roles in science and engineering and the “leaky young women in STEM and the future leaders in this field, have topipeline” effects decreased to reduce the number of women who offer. It was a truly inspiring and humbling experience and we
move, or are actively pushed out, into other careers. In many hope other New Zealand and Australian students will have thecases the change needs to be driven by not only female opportunity to attend in the future.
representatives of these industries but their male counterparts aswell. It was an eye opening experience to meet with and hear Caitlin Duncan and Chanelle Gavinfrom women, ranging from undergraduates to University Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ)WISE Nepal Thrives
as New INWES
Memberrelated fields.

2. For women scientists and engineers in
Nepal to be able to raise their voices
together for women-friendly policies in
WISE Nepal emerged and developed as a their workplaces.
voluntary network in 201 3, with one goal:‘’Better prospects for women scientists With nine young women engineers as
and engineers in Nepal through their executive members of the board, theactive involvement and participation’’. It network members include more than abecame an official member of INWES in hundred engineers and scientists practicing
201 4.
in different institutions such as universities,
NGOs, INGOs, government
services and some bilateralandmultilateral
donor
agencies.

Its immediate objectives are:1 . For women scientists and engineers in
Nepal to be able to take advantage ofincreased networking and knowledge
sharing opportunities for their professional
development in science and engineering
Issue 18 - January 2015

Someof the executive
members of WISE Nepal
participated in the Young
Women Science Camp in
201 3 and 201 4, and the Asia
Pacific Nations Network and
MAPWist conference held in
Korea in 201 4. These events
have provided them with
opportunities to understandand exchange experiences between
women engineers and scientists across theregions. It also helped them learn how to
become become leaders and role models
to support the engineering profession for
fellow women engineers. A paper on the
promotion of social inclusion inengineering, by the WISE Nepal chair, waschosen for presentation at theInternational Conference for WomenEngineers and Scientists - ICWES 1 6.
Members of WISE Nepal have advocatedwithin the institutions they are working
with to encourage affirmative actions toinclude more women engineers within
their workforces. They continue to lobby
for the promotion of internshipprogrammes for new female engineering
graduates, which get them involved indifferent engineering projects and help
them gain the confidence to enter into theengineering job market, as well as offering
paid full-time employment in engineering
for successful interns.
WISE, Nepal

3

One Young Woman's Experienceat the Young Woman Scientist
Camp in Korea

presented by Dr Marlene Kanga was the “leaky pipeline”
syndrome. Research showed that although a promising
percentage of women enter STEM at undergraduate level, thepercentage of women working in these areas drops off rapidly
with seniority and maturity. The “leaky pipeline” is a serious
In the summer I had the opportunity to attend the 201 4 Young problem that is often masked by the relatively high percentage of
Woman Scientist (YWS) camp held at the Ewha Women’s female graduates in STEM. The report recognised that only once
University (Seoul, South Korea), thanks to the
support of Dr Marlene Kanga of Engineers Australia,
and the Association of Korean Women Scientists andEngineers (KWSE). The YWS camp offered thetwenty-two international and fifty-six Korean-based
young women participants the opportunity tointeract and network with other women researchersin science, technology, engineering, and mathematics(STEM), working throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
This year, the YWS camp was run concurrently withthe biannual 201 4 Asian & Pacific Nation Network(APNN) meeting and the Meeting of Asia and Pacific
Women in Science and Technology (MAPWiST).
Consequently, the YWS attendees were allowed theopportunity to participate in key events surrounding
these meetings and to gain professional insight fromthe more senior participants of these other forums.
the “leaky pipeline” and all contributing issues are tackled canOn the first day of the YWS camp the international attendees Australia fully harness all the scientific talent available and reachwere given the opportunity to travel to the Korean Institute of its full research potential.
Science and Technology (KIST) and Changdeokgung Palace. A
tour through the KIST Gallery showcased the impressive scientific On Thursday, the YWS camp attendees were divided into small
achievements accomplished during almost fifty years in operation. groups and asked to develop a poster presentation. The diversityof cultures, different stages oflife, and areas of professional
interest in my group made for a
lively discussion and an interestingpresentation on the obstacles andpossible solutions to retaining agood life-work balance as awoman in STEM. Friday beganwith a small group mentoring
session for YWS attendees, whichallowed YWS attendees theopportunity to benefit from theexperience of the more senior
MAPWiST attendees and share
their concerns within an intimategroup setting. In the afternoon
the poster sessions gave the YWS
participants a chance to share
The visit to the active KIST laboratories offered us a glimpse into their research interests with other attendees.
the cutting-edge research currently being conducted at theInstitute, including research into catalytic technology and quantum The YWS camp was an extremely positive experience, whichdots. After trying the local cuisine for lunch, we enjoyed a tour of highlighted the challenges associated with working towards
the beautiful Changdeokgung Palace - a chance to appreciate the gender equality in STEM and inspired me to be involved inrich culture and history of Korea.
instigating change. The camp taught me a great deal, while also
giving me the opportunity to create lifelong professional and
The APNN meeting began on the second day with the personal friendships with international scientists and engineers.
presentation of progress reports for each of the participating
Asia-Pacific countries. The reports highlighted both global and Emily Hyderegion-specific issues surrounding the participation of women in Engineers Australia
STEM. A key issue identified in the Australian progress report
Issue 18 - January 2015

4

WiES Bangladesh
hold Consultation
on Women in
Engineeringand Science

activities of WiES Bangladesh. The
documentary demonstrated how female
engineers designed and developed toys forgirls which can make them interested inengineering fields. Then, in the open
discussion led by Dr. Shahriar Hossain theparticipants shared their views on thesituation of Bangladeshi women in thesefields. They discussed how women are
shaped to be typical girls in Bangladesh
and encouraged to be concerned about
their beauty rather than qualifications.
They discussed ideas about how to break
the barriers created within society which

The participants suggested
thatnewspapers and social media should cover
more stories on such pioneering women,
which can help motivate women to standup to the societal and cultural barriers
they face in Bangladesh, and lead to to therecognition of women for their hard work,
merit and intelligence, rather than justtheir beauty. Ideas for encouraging more
female involvement in STEM included
increasing the number of science teachers,
creating a more participatory education
system, and introducing more study hours
in labs. The need to improve career

Shortly after this meeting, WiES
Bangladesh conducted its first consultation
meeting on 29th November 201 4 in Dhaka
with the slogan "LEAD, INSPIRE,EMPOWER". A large group of women
who were interested, studying, or
specialists in science, technology,
engineering,
entrepreneurshipormathematics attended.

deprive them of opportunities to getengaged to fields related to science andengineering and compete with their malecounterparts.

The consultation consisted of four parts: ashort presentation, a documentary, aspeech from the President, and an open
discussion. The presentation informed theparticipants about the objectives, mission,
vision, major focuses, and proposed

Ms. Siddika Sultana, President of WiES
Bangladesh, wanted girls in Bangladesh to
be inspired by the many girls in these fields
in India and elsewhere, who are stepping
forwardamidstviolence
anddiscrimination.

opportunities in science-related fields inorder to encourage girls to choose scienceas their majors at higher levels of
education, was also raised. The
consultation was over with a vote of
thanks by the host organization (ESDO).
After the consultation all of the womenparticipating signed up to become
committed members of WiES Bangladesh.

Women in Engineering and Science (WiES)
Bangladesh, a member organization of
INWES, was created in June 201 4 to act asa voice for women in science, technology,
engineering,
entrepreneurshipandmathematics; and help develop andpromote women’s social and economic
potential.
Recently, the President, Ms. Siddika
Sultana, and founder, Dr. Shahriar Hossain,
along with many WiES members met with
Mr. Dillip Pattanaik, Vice-President of
WISE India and representative of INWES
in Dhaka. They discussed their bid to hosta regional conference for INWES in Dhaka
in 201 5 to promote women in science andengineering regionally and globally.

WiES, Bangladesh

Inspiring Bold Young Women to
Speak up at ICWESFounder, Jillian Kenny, and I were like proud parents, talking
about the scalability of the Power of Engineering programme, andhow we had reached over 2,400 students across Australia
It was a privilege to speak at the 1 6th ICWES conference in Los through our one day workshops.
Angeles.
Presenting at ICWES enabled us to begin a global expansion. We
Three years ago at ICWES1 5 in Adelaide, Australia, I promised received interest from several inspiring young women who
myself that in 201 4 I would be in Los Angeles, on that stage offered to expand our workshops in their local cities - Lospresenting something, anything, as a contribution to women in the Angeles and Seattle. Like most young engineers they said "I always
engineering profession. Fast forward eight months from that point wanted to do something to inspire the next generation but didn't
and I had corralled an extraordinary team and we had just know what".
completed our first event to inspire girls to change the world
through engineering. We called it the Power of Engineering (see: To say we were overwhelmed by the scale of the conference –www.powerofengineering.org).
especially the careers fair - is an understatement. With more than
8,000 attendees, we had never seen so many women engineers in
Sharing our story at ICWES 1 6, my Power of Engineering Co- one place. There are probably only a few more women engineers

Issue 18 - January 20155

in the whole of Australia! Within this giant room were thousandsof young students and newly minted engineers, jostling for theirposition at company stalls and patiently waiting in line to get fiveminutes with an engineer or talent scout. But outside the largehall, in the ICWES conference presentations, we noticed thatthese young women were more difficult to find.
While the presentations, lightning talks and workshops werebrilliant, there was a distinct lack of youth among those women
who were bold enough to present their ideas. For once it wasn’t
the case for ‘where are all the women’ it was ‘where are all the
young engineers?’
As young engineers ourselves, we know that it’s not because
young women don’t have anything of value toshare. In fact, back in Australia, the first everEngineers Australia National Convention washeld at the end of November. To coincide withthis event, a list of ‘Young Leaders to Watch’ comprised of young engineers, who are making
a difference in their fields today - has beenreleased. Of the 20 young engineers who makeup that list, 1 3 – that’s 65% - are female!

profession so they can trust in the value of their own ideas?’
We believe one way of getting more young women on the stage is
to create opportunities for young women to speak up, and toclearly articulate that them being bold is a great contribution to
the profession. Having young women involved in the conversationas speakers, on panels, and in front of the whole conference
crowd will influence and inspire other young women. This will
ensure that other young women in the audience will have theopportunity to be inspired by these role models, just like I was by
the inspirational leaders at my first ICWES.
Felicity Briody
Power of Engineering, Australia

Conferences like ICWES are essential for
empowering all women in the engineering
profession. We are both huge fans and havealready thrown our hats over the wall topresent again at ICWES1 7, in New Delhi, in
another three years. For us, the next question
has become ‘How do we instill the necessaryconfidence in the young women in our

Important award
and book launch for
Kenyan Researcher,
Mary Abukutsa
This year Mary Abukutsa Onyango, aleading researcher in the study of African
indigenous vegetables and fruit, won a
Coveted Global Award in Edinburgh, UK.
She also launched a book on the subject
with the Food and Agricultural
Organisation of the United Nations (FAO)in Australia.
Mary Abukutsa Onyango, a professor of
Horticulture at Jomo Kenyatta Universityof Agriculture and Technology, won theprestigious 201 4 Edinburgh Medal in April
at the 26th Edinburgh Medal Ceremony.
The award recognised her work for its
combined scientific and social relevance.
She has been searching for practicalsolutions to Africa’s double burden ofobesity and malnutrition, through research
into sustainable production and utilization
Issue 18 - January 2015of leafy African indigenous vegetables.
The cheers and applause she received, as
she rose to collect the award at the 201 4
Edinburgh International Science Festival,
are a sign that Professor Abukutsa’s
research, which has spanned two decades,
is finally getting the recognition it
deserves. On collecting the award, she
dedicated the medal to the millions ofAfricans living with various forms of
malnutrition and diet-related illnesses:‘This is for all the people in the world whoare struggling with malnutrition, and thosefacing death as a result of hunger.’
While making a speech for the don, Prof
Louise Heathwaite, Scottish Chief
Scientific Advisor for Rural Affairs andEnvironment, noted the immense
contribution to health and nutrition
Professor Abukutsa has made and its
implications for human well being:

traditional African crops to optimize
health and nutrition, and reduce dietrelated diseases". Heathwaite praised
Abukutsa for drawing attention a adifferent model of scientific thinking anddecision making - one that "promotes
indigenous plants as reliable sources ofnutritious foods."
Professor Abukutsa has dedicated her life
and work to leafy traditional vegetables
whose potential, she believes, can beharnessed to economically empower
Kenya’s rural poor, as well as alleviating
nutrition-related conditions like anaemia,
diabetes,
certaincancers,
andcardiovascular disorders. However, she
acknowledges
thatfarmingandconsumption of the nutrient-dense
vegetables in Africa remains very poor due
to a number of cultural, technical andagronomic factors.

"Many Kenyans consider the indigenous
Her scientific research was described as vegetables as weeds, a result of colonial"helpful in revealing the risks to global mindset that placed exotic species above
food security and how we can leverage … local ones. Our studies have instead6

confirmed that African vegetables have nurtured by Abukutsa.
great competitive advantage compared to
exotic ones," Abukutsa told the Edinburgh The researcher has now
Festival gathering.
set her eyes on
establishing a research
The academic added that the traditional centre to address thecrops like amaranths, jute mallow, and indigenous vegetables’
spiderplant are also easy to grow, tolerant value chain. She believes
to drought, resistant to diseases, and quick the venture would be
to mature. Abukutsa believes these instrumental in providing
qualities can be exploited to give impetus quality
seeds
and
to African economies, while cushioning spreading appropriate
global population from hunger and farming practices to grass
malnutrition.
roots farmers in Africa, as well as offeringvalue addition and marketing services for
Due to her research and advocacy, a the commodities.
number of African leafy vegetables are
now available in supermarkets in Kenya The Edinburgh Award is the latest addition
and beyond. Agriculture curricula at to Abukutsa’s long list of awards and
JKUAT and Maseno Universities also have accolades by local and international
units on the local vegetables. Furthermore, individuals and institutions. She is an Elderthe botanic garden at Maseno university is of the Order of the Burning Spear, andnow home to over 200 species of was declared the African Union Top
endangered African plants, including Woman scientist in Earth and Life Sciencesindigenous vegetables, which have been in 201 0. She becomes the second African

woman to receive the coveted Award.
The other recipient was the lateenvironmentalist and Nobel Laureate from
Kenya, Professor Wangari Maathai.
"We must all do something. It may not be
on African vegetables; it can be on Scottish
traditional vegetables! All the little things
we are going to do will add up to makehuman life better, for science is at theheart of what we do," concluded Professor
Abukutsa to a standing ovation.

included for driving innovations. There were multiple technicaltracks featuring the latest technologies in many fields such as
cloud computing, data science, security, and Swift Playgrounds
Programming language by Apple. Conference presenters
represented many different fields, from within academia, industry,
Durdana Habib, recently elected to the INWES Board of and government. The non-profit organization "Computing
Directors, was presented the Change Agent
Research Association CommitteeAward at the Grace Hopper Celebration of
on Women in Computing (CRAWomen in Computing (GHC) 201 4. The eventW)", also offered sessions targeted
was live-streamed by the organizers. Durdana
towards academics and business.
has been actively involved with INWES since its
inception in 2002. She has served two terms on
An hour-long panel moderated by
the Board of Directors from 2005 to 201 1 .
Dennis Whittle, President of The
Whittle Group and Executive
GHC is the world’s largest gathering for
Chairman of Ashoka
women technologists. It is organised by the
Changemakers, took place on 1 0th
Anita Borg Institute (ABI), and presented in
October. During the panel, thepartnership with the Association for
ABI Change Agent Award winners
Computing Machinery (ACM), to support thewere interviewed about how they
research and career interests of women inbecame involved with careers incomputing and encourage their participation.
technology. The audience was
Dr. Telle Whitney, co-founder of ABI,
invited to put questions to thewelcomed the attendees at the opening
award winners towards the end. A
ceremony and invited Alex Wolf, the President
career fair was launched alongsideof the Association of Computing Machinery
the conference. The career fair was(ACM) to give opening remarks. The
a great forum for facilitating open
conference was held in Phoenix, Arizona on 8th
conversations about career
to 1 0th October 201 4. Among the participants
positions in industry and academia.
were 8,000 women from about sixty-seven
Many famous companies, such ascountries and representatives from about 900
Google, Facebook, Microsoft, IBM,
organizations, there to get inspired, gain expertise, get connected, Yahoo, Thomson Reuters; as well as universities such as,
and have fun.
Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University, The George
Washington University, and the Georgia Institute of Technology;
The conference theme this year was "Everywhere. Everyone”. and non-profit organizations like CRA-W were present to discuss
Computer technologies are everywhere and everyone should be opportunities for women.

Award presented to INWES
Board Director at Grace Hopper
Celebration 2014

Issue 18 - January 2015

7

Women Engineers
Contribute to New
UN Frameworks at
WFEO
Women engineers made an active
contribution to the meeting of the World
Federation of Engineering Organisations(WFEO), held at UNESCO, Paris in
December 201 4. WFEO is the leading
body for the engineering profession andbrings together engineering institutions
from more than ninety countries,
representing more than 20 million
engineers.

One important project at WFEO concerns
theUnitedNations
Sustainable
Development Goals (SDG), which will
come into effect next year. In 201 5 three
new United Nations frameworks will
replace the Millennium Development
Goals (for global development), the Kyoto
Protocol (for action for climate change)
and the Hyogo Framework for Action (fornatural disaster risk mitigation).

The annual WFEO meetings are an
opportunity to discuss global issues which
involve engineering and to influence
decision-makers in the area of engineering
education, sustainable development, ethicalstandards in engineering, and natural
disaster resilience.
WFEO is supporting the development of

Women Engineers Day held in
Argentina- How do we achieve better gender balance in all work groups
and business processes? And how do we motivate leaders inthese groups so they generate a more gender- balanced
A Women Engineers Day with a focus on “Diversity and Inclusion environment?
for Engineers in the Region” was held in parallel with the recent
regional ENGINEERING 201 4 Congress for Latin America and - Given that engineers are an expensive resource for businesses,
the Caribbean, which took place from the 3th to 6th November how can we induce companies to value human capital even more
201 4. The day and was
and reduce the pay-gap between men andorganized by the Women
women (currently at around 24%)?
Engineers’ Commission ofEngineers
Argentina- Large and international companies seem to(CAI). It was chaired byoffer rules for a better inclusion and more
Olga Cavalli and included
professional equality: how can we accomplishover 1 20 participants.
this in small and medium enterprises (SMEs)?
Important topics were
- Governments can help enforce change once
discussed such as theequality policies are in place, but how can we
gendergaps
inpersuade them to go from vision to action?
engineering which exist at
every stage - from youth entry to professional career progression, - What are the possible solutions for childcare when fathers andand promotion to senior management and decision-making mothers both work at the same time?
positions. The workshop concluded that stereotypes and social
factors, which persist in industry and engineering environments, Finally, the issue of who we attract to engineering and science,
continue to have a significant impact on theand how, was discussed.
gender gap.
Creating a new work
environment may rely on
Concrete cases were considered andattracting young people
analyzed, with diverse evidence-based
who are aware ofsolutions explored, such as: quotas which
inclusion as a social issue,
could be implemented within organizational
and who are interested
processes at each stage of human resourcesin realising a different
planning, actions to mainstream gender inimage of an engineering
all labor policies, innovation in public
and technical society:administration, and major businessone which is moreenterprises leading by example. Projectmodern, more equal, andrecommendations such as building specificmore inclusive.
mentoring programs and leadership training
focused on women empowerment were also brought to the The discussion recognised the importance of being able to notworkshop.
just articulate an image, but also “measure what we treasure” byassessing strategic indicators. A key conclusion andQuestions were raised within discussions that made clear the recommendation of the day was that identifying indicators toambitious scale of the task we have ahead of us:
assess the situation is of utmost importance when it comes tomainstreaming, advocacy, and demonstrating credibility in gender- How do we measure and prove that diversity and inclusion issues.
generate more income, business, and value to society in generaland the engineering field in particular?
Yvette Ramos and Olga Cavalli
Issue 18 - January 20158

these new frameworks, through experts
from member countries, to ensure thatengineering perspectives are included inthese important statements. It hasestablished connections at the highest
levels to ensure that engineering input isrecognised.

Goal 5 - Achieve gender equality andempower all women and girls.
Both these goals are of vital interest to
women engineers and scientists. In an
increasingly technological world, it isimportant that women and girls have equal
access to education, and to technologythat empowers their lives and enables an
There are seventeen goals under active contribution to the economy.
discussion at present, and these will befurther consolidated as discussion Some of the sustainable development goals
progresses during 201 5. Importantly, to be achieved by 2030 under Goal 4
objectives for women are recognised in include free, equitable, and quality early
two key areas:childhood, primary, and secondary
education leading to effective learning
Goal 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable outcomes. Another aspiration is equalquality education and promote lifelong access for all to affordable quality
learning opportunities for all.
technical, vocational, and tertiary
education, including university. It is hopedthat realisation of this aspiration will resultin more women studying science,engineering and mathematics around theworld. This aspiration is also supported byanother related objective - to have moreteachers in these fields with additional
facilities for teacher training. Scholarships
for students from developing countries in particular LDCs (less developed
countries), SIDS (small island developing
states) and African countries - to enrol inhigher education, including vocational
training, ICT, technical, engineering andscientific programmes, in developed
countries and other developing countries
are also to be encouraged.
Goal 5 captures the aspiration that all
forms of discrimination against all women

The Birth of the African
Regional Network

inaugural conference. The conference took place in Abidjan from23rd to 25th April 2009, and twelve countries from the continent
were represented.

The African Regional Network (RNA) was finally set up under the
auspices of the International Network of Women Scientists andEngineers (INWES) in October 201 4. Its creation has been a long
journey fraught, with pitfalls that have been overcome by thedetermination, commitment, and ambition of women scientists
and engineers in Africa.

Earlier, in January of the same year, meetings were held in Lome,
Togo, and Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. In 201 1 , in Adelaide, Australia, ameeting allowed African women to discuss how they could set up
the African network. Another meeting in New Delhi, India, in
201 2, moved the process forward.

ARN was initiated at ICWES 1 6 + SWE 1 4 in Los Angeles, USA,
as ICWES celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. Its the result of theefforts and far-reaching vision that began in 2001 .
In 2001 , in Lusaka, Zambia, UNESCO organized a conference on
science education for girls. A workshop was devoted to thecreation of an African network of women scientists and engineers(RAFESI - Réseau africain des femmes ingénieurs et scientifiques).
After the inaugural General Assembly, the second General
Assembly was held in Bamako, Mali. Aminata Elizabeth
OUEDRAOGO BANCE of Burkina Faso was elected President
and the late Ngoya DER Sylla of Senegal, Secretary General.
Unfortunately, despite the efforts of those involved RAFESI has
struggled to get off the ground.
In Lille, France, on July 1 7th 2008, at ICWES 1 4, another groupof women scientists and engineers - ten in total - met at a
meeting organized by the then INWES Vice President, Monique
Moutaud, and signed a statement which outlined a plan to set up
INWES - Africa. These women were: Yvonne Issie Gueye(CIFISATS - ROI), Nadia Ghazzali (Canada - African Diaspora),
APWEN (Nigeria), WSE (Zimbabwe), Geneviève Mwayuli (AWSE- Kenya), Rosebella Maranga (AWSE - Kenya), Tasokwa Kakota(WS - Malawi), Clementine Tsikuakua (Congo), Feue Ngoya Der
Sylla (Senegal), Victoria Njuki (WESTU - Uganda).
In October 2008 the mandate was given to the then Director of
Francophone Africa, Yvonne Issie GUEYE, to organise an
Issue 18 - January 2015

The results of these efforts allowed the ARN to proceed with theformal installation of a Steering Committee chaired by Dr. Okon
Aduakobong Anniebat of Nigeria. To strengthen the nascent
network, Dr. Okon was invited to take part in the 201 4 African
Fair for Research and Innovation in Senegal (SARIS) in Dakar by
AFSTech / Senegal.
Finally in October 201 4, the ARN was born!
For the majority of the fifty-four countries in Africa, we now havea focal point for organising women engineers and scientists. Thisis the beginning of an African directory of female human capital inscience and engineering.
African countries have been actively involved in INWES for a longtime. In fact, the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire organized ICWES 8 in
1 988 under the patronage of former Côte d'Ivoire President
Houphouet Boigny.
However, we hope that, with the creation of the new network,
women engineers and scientists in Africa will now be better able
to connect with one another and work together in order tocontinue their important efforts. We want to create a sustainable
continent through the promotion of a science and technology
culture, in which women and men succeed together!
Rufina Dabo Sarr
President of AFSTech / Senegal
INWES Board Member and Director for Francophone Africa
President of the Advocacy Commission

9and girls everywhere will be eliminated aswell as all forms of violence against all
women and girls in public and private
spheres; child, early and forced marriage;
and female genital mutilation. This goal
also recognises the need to acknowledge
and value unpaid care and domestic workthrough the provision of public services,
infrastructure, and social protection
policies, and the promotion of shared
responsibility within the household and thefamily. This goal also recognises theimportance of ensuring women’s full andeffective participation. and equal
opportunities for leadership at all levels ofdecision-making in political, economic, andpublic life and for women’s equal rights toeconomic resources, ownership, andcontrol over land and other forms ofproperty, financial services, inheritance,and natural resources. It is recognised thatsome national laws may need to be
reinforced or reformed to achieve thisgoal. Women also need be able to accessand use enabling technologies, in particular
information
andcommunications
technologies.
The WFEO Committee for Women in
Engineering discussed these initiatives aswell as their own projects relating to thedata on Engineering Workforce Diversity,
Leadership and Empowerment andEngineering Strategic Indicators. Plans for
progressing these initiatives werediscussed during the meeting.

WFEO is also active in other global
engineering initiatives. With the growing
importance of the internet and data
sharing, it is working with the UN andother international organisations such as
the Internet Governance Forum and theInternational Geographical Union todevelop global data sharing principles.
Ensuring standards for engineering
education is a high priority to enableengineers to travel and work around theworld. WFEO is working with theInternational Engineering Alliance (IEA),
and with national and regional professional
engineering institutions, to develop
approaches to improve engineering
education. This is necessary intellectual
infrastructure to underpin economic
development.
The WFEO committee for ethical practicein engineering has developed a model codeof ethics which is being adopted aroundthe world. Engineers interested in fighting
corruption in engineering projects havebeen successful in lobbying for aninternationalanti-bribery
standard,
ISO37001 . A British standard BS1 0500 had
already been developed and was the modelfor the ISO standard. This standard
provides a framework for a management
system which militates against the risk ofcorrupt practices. The international
standard is in the final stages ofdevelopment and is expected to come into

effect in July 201 6, enabling a systematic
approach to corruption in engineering andall other sectors.
WFEO member nations with specialist
expertise in environmental engineering
have developed a Model Code for
Sustainable Development as well as
associated guidelines. These have beentranslated into seven languages andprovide valuable guidance to engineers
around the world in developing sustainable
solutions. Environmental engineers arealso working with the UN to address the
SDG.
Natural disaster resilience is another hot
topic, especially for developing countries
affected by extreme weather events.
Engineers from WFEO are working closelywith the UNISDR, the agency responsible
for natural disaster risk mitigation, and aremaking a contribution to the Sendai
framework which will replace the Hyogo
Framework from 201 5 onwards. A webbased resource has also been developed toshare knowledge on natural disaster
resilience to build capacity in this area
(see: www.wfeo.org/ndrm/)
Dr. Marlene Kanga AM
Vice President of INWES
Engineers Australia National President 201 3
Member of the WFEO Executive Council,
representing Australia.
For further information see www.wfeo.org.

ICWES16 Conference
WE1 4+ICWES1 6 was a huge success and record-breaking inseveral aspects. The partnering of the Society of WomenEngineers (SWE) with the International Network of WomenEngineers and Scientists (INWES) to host ICWES1 6 as a joint
conference, resulted in over 8,300 attendees from forty-sevencountries to Los Angeles for three days of professional
development, networking andeducational opportunities. This is a
1 5% increase in attendance for a
SWE conference and seventeen
more countries represented for an
ICWES! The welcoming Ice CreamSocial Wednesday evening gave
attendees a chance to network andget creative with a costume contest
that ranged from famous women tonative dresses from around theworld. The SWE and INWES
Presidents jointly opened theIssue 18 - January 2015

conference Thursday morning encouraging everyone to meet new
people and learn about other cultures. Parallel SWE and ICWES
Tracks totaling 302 sessions, twelve seminars/workshops andeight technical tours offered plenty of professional development
opportunities. The Career Fair broke records with 51 5 booths
sold and 303 corporations exhibiting and/or sponsoring. The
INWES and INWES ERI
boothlookedvery
professional with our new
banners.
There was a lot ofglimmer and recognitionof outstanding women in
STEM by both SWE and
INWES at the banquets
Friday and Saturdaynights. Monique Frize,
Ph.D. received the first
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INWES Lifetime Achievement Award for “significant
accomplishments in the area of engineering and computer science;in encouraging women to study science, technology, engineering,and mathematics disciplines; and through continual guidance andsupport helping INWES to become a more effective organization
around the world”. Jennifer S. Atchison, Ph.D., Sue Bird andMyung Hee Jung, Ph.D. received INWES Service Awards for their
dedication and commitment to INWES, its mission, and growth ofthe organization.

History display and banners celebrating the 50th Anniversary ofInternational Conferences for Women and Scientists. For the
ICWES Tracks, 202 abstracts were submitted from thirty-three
countries; eighty-six speakers were selected for lectures, lightning
talks or panels; and fifty-eight selected to present posters. Travel
funds totaling US$50,500 enabled INWES to support twenty
speakers from thirteen countries.

INWES events included the last board meeting for the 201 2-201 4
Board of Directors, the charter meeting for the INWES African
Highlights of ICWES1 6 included the popular International Lounge Regional Network, the Annual General Meeting with presentation
where international and SWE members could meet and network of reports and election of the 201 5-201 7 Board of Directors, anas well as review the poster presentations; and view the ICWES informational meeting by the INWES Education and ResearchInstitute, and then the first board meeting for the
201 5-201 7 Board. Looking to the future, INWES is
excited to announce the acceptance of the proposal
from WISE-India to host ICWES1 7 in New Delhi,
India. As soon as the dates in 201 7 and venue details
are confirmed they will be advertised so you can startplanning your participation.
Gail Mattson
ICWES1 6 Committee Chair

INWES Awards
INWES is a non-profit voluntary-based organisation and our work is made possible by the support and commitment of our members,
who contribute in many different ways. The following awards recognise the exceptional contributions made by some of our members.
INWES Lifetime Achievement Award
Monique Frize, P.Eng. Ph.D.

For significant accomplishments in the area of engineering and computer science; in encouraging women to
study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines; and through continual guidance andsupport helping INWES to become a more effective organization around the world.

I NWES Service Award

Sue Bird
Association of Noise Consultants

For dedication to the International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists (INWES)
and its mission; for continued guidance and leadership to the members; and for being a rolemodel to all INWES board members as we continue the growth of the organization.

I NWES Service Award

Jennifer S. Atchison, Ph.D.
INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials

For significant contributions to the International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists (INWES);
in particular, organizing legacy materials from INWES history and International Conference of WomenEngineers and Scientists (ICWES) events to provide visual displays and exhibition materials for the 50th
year celebration.
Issue 18 - January 2015

11

INWES Service Award
Myung Hee Jung, Ph.D.
Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) Europe

In recognition of her unwavering commitment to the growth and vitality of the International Network of
Women Engineers and Scientists (INWES) in providing resources for the December 201 3 INWES board
meeting at KIST Europe; the coordination of resources and support for the student interns in preparing the50th anniversary materials; and for providing the intern project with guidance on how to effectively archive.

We want to extend a special thank you to these members and to all the other members whose contributions, big or small, help keep us
thriving and growing as an organisation!

Upcoming Events
ASEAN Engineering Conference
Seeking More Women Engineerspresent at the conference.

The call for submission is available at:Engineers Australia is hosting the 3rd ASEAN – Australian http: //www.engineersaustralia.org.au/aaec-201 5/call-abstracts
Engineering Congress on Innovative Technologies for Sustainable
Development and Renewable Energy - 1 1 th - 1 3 th March 201 5.
The abstract needs to be around 1 00 words. It should summarise
the proposed talk, as well as provide details about the author(s)The Conference will be held at Marina Bay Sands Convention and their organisation.
Centre Singapore.
This is a great opportunity for women engineers and scientists inThis congress presents an opportunity for pro-active discussion the ASEAN region to attend and present information on theiron sustainable solutions for economic growth and addresses organisations.
issues such as climate change, depleting natural resources, andsolutions to increasing energy demand, including renewable Marlene Kanga
energy.
Chair of the International Committee and National President 201 3,
The organising committee would like to have more womenEngineers Australia

The New INWES Board
The new INWES Board is looking forward to working for the next three years with INWES individual members and organisations
globally to support women in STEM everywhere!

Issue 18 - January 201512

About INWES
I.Executive Officers:

President: Kong-Joo Lee (South Korea)
President elect: Liette Vasseur (AFFESTIM - Canada)
Treasurer: Joan Graf (SWE - USA)
Secretary General: Margaret Ajibode (WES - UK)
Vice President: Gail G. Mattson (AAAS - USA)
Vice President: Marlene Kanga (Engineers Australia - Australia)
Vice President: Roseni Dearden (UK)

Honorary members:

Dormer Ellis (Canada)
Joanna Maduka (Nigeria)
Kathleen Harer (USA)
Mahin Rahmani (Iran )Monique Frize (Canada)
Nicole Becarud (France)
Renata Siemiens (Poland )Issié Yvonne Gueye (Ivory Coast)
Claire Deschenes (Canada)

II. Other Board Members:

Durdana Habib (WESTIP - Pakistan, Central Asia)
Rufina Dabo Sarr (AFSTech/Sénégal - Senegal, French Speaking
Africa)Claudia Bergbauer (DIB - Germany, Western Europe)
Caroline Thoruwa (AWSE - Kenya, English Speaking Africa)
Ewa Okon-Horodynska (Individual - Poland, Eastern Europe)
Seong Ok Han (KWSE - South Korea, Far East Asia)
Kayoko Sugahara (INWES Japan - Japan, Far East Asia)

Aude Abena (AFISC - Cameroon, French Speaking Africa)
Sangeeta Wij (WISE-India - India, South East Asia)
Chia-Li Wu (TWiST - Taiwan, Far East Asia)
Yvette Ramos (Swiss Engineering - Switzerland, Western Europe)

INWES Sponsors
Platinum Sponsors: Canadian International Development Agency, SamsungGold Sponsors: KWSE Silver Sponsors: SNC LAVALIN, SWE, AAAS, WES UK
Past Sponsors: Canadian International Development Agency, IDRC, Nortel, IBM
Affiliated with: UNESCO

INWES Member Newsletter
Deadline for Issue No. 1 9: 1 st MarchContact: Roseni Dearden, Communications & Newsletter Committee
Email: inwes.secretary@gmail.com

Contact INWES
www.inwes.org

General Information:
Margaret Ajibode,
INWES Secretary General
Email: inwes.secretary@gmail.com
Sponsorship information:
Joan Graf, INWES Treasurer
Phone: +(1 ) 303 992 881 1
Email: Joan.Graf@centurylink.com
Issue 18 - January 2015

INWES on social media:
www.facebook.com/groups/inwes/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/
INWES/1 221 44834530387?ref=hl
Twitter: @INWES_Engineers

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