International Women in Engineering Day (#INWED22) takes place on Wednesday June 23rd, 2022. The objective is to celebrate the role of women in engineering professions and to encourage younger women to enter the profession.
For the current theme, the event website states: “This year we’ll be celebrating the amazing work that women engineers around the world are doing to support lives and livelihoods every day. We’re profiling the best, brightest and bravest women in engineering, the inventors and innovators who dare to be part of the solution and are helping to build towards a brighter future.”
The event is hosted by The Women’s Engineering Society, this year’s theme is, “Inventors & Innovators.” This is a U.K. based organisation that aims to foster the expansion of women in engineering and technology roles.
Looking into the background of #INWED22 for Digital Journal is Abigail Hipp, Engineering Program Manager, Imply.
Hipp explains: “International Women in Engineering Day celebrates the hard working women who dedicate themselves to innovating and progressing the engineering fields. While there’s been a lot of improvement in the industry for women over the years, there’s still more that can be done.”
In terms of where engineering related firms can take more action, Hipp outlines: “Two primary areas where I see room for growth are around mentorship and recognition for women.”
With this, she expands: “It can be difficult to picture yourself in a job where there aren’t many people who look like you, so the more we can provide women with these kinds of resources, the more they will believe that they can have success.”
Hipp also encourages women to come forward and to breakdown barriers, stating: “I also want to encourage women to be bold, courageous and feel confident that they have the skills, intelligence and perseverance to succeed. Find a mentor who can help you navigate your career and keep a circle of positive people around you. One great way to gain valuable experience is to volunteer your professional services for non-profit organizations—you’ll be giving back to your community while simultaneously practicing your craft.”
Extolling the virtues of working within an engineering profession, HIpp says: “One of my favorite things about my job is collaborating with an incredibly talented and diverse team of individuals to creatively solve problems.”
She further adds: “By bringing together diverse perspectives, your team will be able to create better products, which will benefit your company and the industry as a whole because it will open up a significant part of the customer base that shares those different perspectives.”
