International Women in Engineering Day
International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) 2021 is on the 23rd June.
Keep reading to discover how the event celebrates women’s achievements in engineering, what’s happening on the day and how you can get involved.
What is INWED?
International Women in Engineering Day is an international awareness campaign which raises the profile of women working in engineering and highlights the many exciting career opportunities available to women and girls in the industry.
The Women’s Engineering Society (WES) launched INWED in the UK as a national campaign to celebrate its 95th anniversary. In 2017, INWED went international – becoming the world’s biggest initiative celebrating the achievements of women in engineering and allied roles.
Comprised of webinars, interactive activities, Q&A sessions, workshops, virtual site tours, competitions and much more across five continents, the truly global event plays a vital role in encouraging more women to take up engineering careers.
You can find out more about INWED here.
What is the theme of INWED21?
Each year INWED activity is focussed on a topical theme and this year it is Engineering Heroes.
Engineers around the world have played a pivotal role in responding to the pandemic over the previous year. Through maintaining critical services and infrastructure to undertaking world-leading research, engineers play a key part in all of our lives.
INWED 2021 will be profiling the best, brightest and bravest women in engineering – but it’s as much about everyday heroics as emergency ones. Behind the scenes, women engineers keep the world running, and INWED 2021 will give them some much-deserved recognition.
The Women’s Engineering Society
The Women’s Engineering Society is the oldest professional UK body for women in engineering.
A network of women engineers, scientists and technologists, the WES runs events, provides mentors for young women, advocates for increased diversity within engineering and more. By working with partners in the industry, its core goals are to offer support, inspiration and professional development to women in the industry.
Highlights from INWED 2020
Last year’s INWED was a huge success – the event went exclusively digital for the first time and managed to reach more than 100 million people across the globe, with the campaign hashtag trending at #1 in the UK.
The theme was #ShapeTheWorld, highlighting how engineers make the world a better, safer, more innovative and exciting place to be. With a focus on sustainability, participants celebrated some of the fantastic work achieved by engineers in shaping a more sustainable world.
You can explore more highlights here.
Women in construction organisations
Explore some of the fantastic organisations which assist women in the construction industry, and see if they could help you:
Women in Construction is a community and resource hub for women in the industry.
Acting as a one stop shop, the platform provides an online community of women offering advice, resources, mentoring, health & wellbeing support and much more. It is free to join for students.
Equate Scotland focusses on increasing the numbers of women working in STEM industries. Women can access training and one to one support, no matter what stage your career is at, as well as attend events and find jobs through its careers hub.
Women into Construction provides bespoke support to women looking to work in construction and assists employers in recruiting more women to help create a more gender-equal workforce.
With a long-term goal of changing the face of construction, Women into Construction seeks to normalise the position of women within the industry.
WISE (Women in Science, Technology and Engineering) enables and energises people in business, industry and education to increase the participation, contribution and success of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
It works with construction companies to foster greater diversity within their workforce, while encouraging more young women to study STEM subjects.
Women in Property creates opportunities, expands knowledge and inspires change for women working in the property and construction industry.
They nurture women aspiring to a career in construction, as well as supporting those already established within the industry.
Offering workshops, site visits, key note talks and social events, the network links members to fellow professionals across the UK.
Engineering roles in the construction industry
There are many rewarding engineering careers in the construction industry – let’s explore some:
Civil engineering technician
Civil engineering technicians provide technical support to engineers on construction projects. Usually specialising in one area of civil engineering, technicians are involved in a wide range of projects from building bridges to widening roads.
Plant & mechanical engineer
Plant & mechanical engineers inspect, design, install or repair machinery and equipment to ensure it is well maintained, working safely and running smoothly.
Structural engineer
Structural engineers are responsible for ensuring the structural integrity of proposed construction projects. Working on everything from shops and homes to oil rigs and satellites, structural engineers make sure structures can withstand stresses and pressures imposed by use and the environment.
Electrical engineer
Electrical engineers design, develop and maintain electrical systems for buildings, transport systems and power distribution networks.
Get involved with INWED 21
Get involved with INWED 2021 across social media by using the hashtags #INWED21 and #EngineeringHeroes to share your engineering stories and photos.
Take part in some of the hundreds of events happening throughout the day.
Follow @INWED1919 on Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date with the day’s activities.
Watch the Top 50 Women in Engineering Award ceremony.