Gender imbalance: Polls finds that 66% of the public associate engineering with men An IMechE survey has found that most of the public still consider engineering to be a profession for men, with more than a quarter believing that this stereotyped image is also deterring women from joining the industry.
In the survey of 2,000 people, 66% were found to associate the term ‘engineer’ more with men, with just 27% saying they associated the term equally with men and women. The poll also found that 40% of the public think the current image of engineering is deterring women from entering the profession, compared with 21% saying it is deterring both men and women.
Dr Helen Meese, head of engineering in society at the IMechE, said: “I think the stereotype that engineering is a male profession still persists because it continues to be seen solely as a heavy industry. It still has historical connections with shipbuilding and the steel industry and yet today engineering covers everything from biomedical products to food processing and electronics.”
Meese added: “I think really we have to say as engineers this is all our problem. We cannot allow our image to be misunderstood and misrepresented. We have to get out there and talk to people about what it is we do and why engineering is so vitally important to the way we live.”
However, Engenius.i, a group working to raise the public’s perception of engineering, has found that female engineers are not always being given the opportunity to talk about their involvement in the industry. Engenius.i looked at Women Speakers, a company with a roster of 293 women that they call upon to speak at events. It found there were female speakers specialising in subjects across 109 categories – from art and history to gardening, eduation, fashion, health and business – but not one female engineer appeared on its books.
Engenius.i said: “If the world of public speaking is an indicator of public interests, then women and engineering just don’t mix. This underlines the disinterest on the part of the vast majority in understanding the things that make our lives function – be it cooking, travel, shopping, being entertained or recovering in hospital. Engineering that supports our society is taken for granted – until it breaks down.”
The IMechE’s new president, Group Captain Mark Hunt, aims to improve the public’s understanding of engineering and increase diversity in the profession during his tenure. He said: “I want to demonstrate what engineers have to offer society, and to broaden public awareness of how engineers are improving the world we live in. I also want to help galvanise action to inspire the next generation of innovators and to encourage more diversity in the industry.
“Women still make up a worryingly low proportion of the engineering workforce, at 6%, and I am determined to help break down the stereotypes that are putting women off joining this vibrant and exciting profession. My challenge to every engineer is to ask themselves what they have done today to improve society and then to tell someone about it. We need to be proud of our achievements.”