.st0 { fill: #C4D600; } .style0 { fill: #C4D600; } .style1 { fill: white; } What matters Menu Why aren’t there more women in engineering? Home » News » Why aren’t there more women in engineering? It’s no a secret that even in today’s world, when you walk into an engineering firm, the place is not usually full of women. Although this isn’t true of Buro Happold, where women make up more than 30% of our technical workforce in the UK, across the UK engineering industry only 12% of all professionals are female. This is the lowest figure in Europe. It’s widely accepted that we must ensure that our workforce is diverse, inclusive and representative of society if we’re to tackle the built environment challenges of the future. So, we should all be looking to diversify the workforce. To tackle this, one questions we should all be asking is why aren’t there more girls pursuing a career in engineering? And for those who do, why don’t they stay in the profession? The extent of the problem Interestingly, when analysing the gender ratio in STEM subjects taken at GCSE level, 48% of the students are girls. However, this percentage decreases at A-level and at university. Girls only make up 16% of undergraduate engineering students, even though more girls progress into higher education than boys. Despite many initiatives across the UK working to increase this proportion, the figure has barely improved. You might be wondering why it matters that there’s not a better gender balance in the industry? Considering that the UK has a shortfall of skilled engineering labour that requires 124,000 new engineers and technicians each year, it’s clear we need to change our attitude. In order to face the engineering challenges of the future, we need to ensure that a range of problem-solving abilities are brought to bear. This variety of approaches needs a diversity of minds. In addition to the statistics, it has been proven by Harvard Business Review and McKinsey that both gender and racial diversity improve the financial performance of companies. When looking at a field that’s focused around problem solving, diversity plays an even greater part in a company’s productivity. When thinking about the law of the instrument, the phrase, “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail” provides another argument as to why diversity should matter. Generally, if problems are solved by people of one gender that also come from similar socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds, the solutions are likely not to consider all aspects of the problem. An example of this in practice is the design of urban, public spaces in regards to street safety. Women often feel unsafe in an environment where men are comfortable. Other issues include the lack of space for pushchairs next to seating in parks and recreational spaces, or the issue of thermal comfort in office environments. Problem solving is often based on past experience. Therefore it’s easier to cater for a diverse user group when the design team is also diverse. The perceived culture of engineering As a teenager thinking about university education and future career aspirations, you try to imagine yourself in the field you’re thinking of working in. The image associated with the word “engineer” is usually a group of men in white shirts and navy trousers staring at a drawing, or a man on a construction site in a hard hat. Neither image screams “anyone is welcome here” and the “gentlemen’s club” feel of the engineering industry can feel like a daunting one to enter, especially as an 18-year-young girl contemplating her future career. Even if that doesn’t discourage someone, the experience of being an engineering student might. Based on research by the Harvard Business Review, female students are often treated differently in lectures and group projects, both by their peers and professors. This is often reflected in either the tasks you’re given, or the reactions you get when you perform well. Unfortunately, the exposure to the workplace through internships is no better. Women often find that their skills aren’t used during placements and they’re not treated equally to their male counterparts. Women also tend to experience inappropriate behaviour or unwanted attention more often than men. As a woman working in engineering, the feeling of being in a minority is always present. We’ve all been the one woman at a meeting with 15 men, or with dozens of male workers on a construction site. It does feel uncomfortable when you go to a site and realise that everyone is staring at you, simply because your gender makes you seem out of place. Other than the stares, construction sites are not generally set up for women. This might be due to unconscious bias or the contractors thinking that there won’t be many women using the site – either way, it’s not an accommodating place to be as a woman. Starting with personal protective equipment (PPE), it’s rare to be on a site that has safety boots in small sizes. Similarly, there are no hi-vis jackets made for women on site. An oversized jacket might not instantly seem like an issue, but it’s hard to be taken seriously when you feel like a child in adult’s clothing. Whilst all these issues might seem small, this jigsaw of small pieces builds up to a picture in which women just aren’t made to feel as welcome in the construction industry. The retention of diverse talent Another issue is that even if women do enter the industry, it’s hard to keep them in the profession in the long-term. Based on research by the Royal Academy of Engineering, “57% of female engineers drop off the register of professional engineers before the age of 45, compared with just 17% of male engineers”. If an environment doesn’t try to be accommodating, it’s fairly hard to stay in it. Historically, there have been far fewer women working in engineering companies, and as a result, companies are often less considerate of women’s needs. Examples include a lack of women’s networks within a company (both formal and informal), support with maternity leave, and, very importantly, a lack of open communication on what women experience in the workplace. The latter could address the issue of microaggressions and unwanted comments towards women that often contribute to women leave the engineering profession. It’s also discouraging as a young professional that there aren’t many women in leadership positions. This paints a picture that women in the industry don’t make it. The lack of representation at more senior levels means that there are no examples to follow for women in junior positions. The creation of change – what needs to happen? This leads to the question of how we can create an environment where women want to enter, stay and prosper. A fundamental ingredient of wanting to join and stay somewhere is knowing that you are welcome there. A simple way of knowing that you’re welcome in an environment is seeing other people that look like you within that environment. This is why the representation of women in the built environment industry is key in showing young girls, who haven’t yet been discouraged, that there are women who are happy and successful with their career. Many of us didn’t meet women engineers until we became engineers ourselves. This needs to change if we want to show the younger generation that anyone can be an engineer. Another key aspect of creating a welcoming environment is companies recognising that we need to keep asking the question, “How we make engineering companies better places for women to work?” The engineering industry needs to tackle why there are fewer women entering the profession than men and demonstrate how they’re nurturing and retaining diverse talent. Women working in engineering today need to be at the centre of these discussions. We also need to hold anyone responsible if they don’t contribute to tackling this disparity. All of us in the industry have a responsibility to build a new image; an image that shows that anyone can fit in. We don’t want anyone in 50 years’ time to still be asking the question “Why aren’t there more women in engineering?”. Date published 29/06/21 Share .st0 { fill: #C4D600; } .style0 { fill: #C4D600; } .style1 { fill: white; } Let's keep in touch Subscribe to our newsletter Sign me up What we do Projects Specialisms Sectors Quick links Find an office Find a specialist Social media Legal Policies and terms Buro Happold standard Ts&Cs Modern Slavery Policy Cookies Policy Cookies settings © 2021 Buro Happold