5 Institutions Advancing Women in Engineering

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By 11 Academia Networks Team

09 February 2017

Getting more women into the STEM workforce is something that will surely lead to better performance and better products, according to global consultancy firm Accenture. And as society finds itself ready to step outside decades of stereotypes to welcome the contributions of both genders in fields outside of their “normal” social construct, let’s take a look at 5 institutions advancing women in engineering. For more helpful engineering advice, news and career opportunities subscribe to NewEngineer.com here.

New York Stem Cell Foundation

Through its Initiative on Women in Science and Engineering, The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) is committed to presenting different strategies for advancing women in science, medicine and engineering. Its Inaugural Meeting of its Initiative on Women in Science and Engineering (IWISE) was kicked off in February 2014, where the group put forward seven actionable strategies to reconvene in February 2015 to further develop them.

Everywoman Academy

Founded over 15 years ago, Everywoman Academy has gained public recognition for its regular hosting of forums for women to share experiences, opportunities and ideas that advance their success in the engineering and scientific fields. Through their partnership with NatWest and other reputable organizations, Everywoman provides critical tools, networking opportunities, inspiration, media recognition, resources and business solutions for Britain’s growing army of women in the engineering sector.

Society of Women Engineers

The Society of Women Engineers, established as a student section in the California Polytechnic State University, provides strategic guidance to student officers who oversee the development and completion of programming to encourage women to aspire, advance and achieve in engineering. The outcome of this program has already shown in improved retention rates of Cal Poly female engineering students and an outstanding record of accomplishments that has continued to gain momentum through the years for all their students.

National Science Foundation

One of the pioneering institutions that has been advancing women in engineering and sciences is the National Science Foundation whose program ADVANCE: Increasing the Participation and Advancement of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Careers (ADVANCE) is “centrally focused on funding projects to support systemic change for gender equity in STEM academic careers”. One of the key priorities of this institution is to acknowledge that barriers to gender equity may not be identical for all groups of women in STEM disciplines, which means that to address these barriers – different approaches should be adopted. The ADVANCE program proposes the adoption of intersectionality as a strategy to promote gender equity for all faculties.

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

No list of institutions advancing women in engineering is complete without the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) as the world’s largest technical professional organization for the advancement of technology. Its subdivision IEEE Women in Engineering is the largest international professional organizations dedicated to promoting women engineers and scientists. Annual leadership conferences and numerous strategic partnerships with other organizations, such as the Pax Ellevate Global Women’s Index Fund, which invests in the top-rated companies for advancing women - empower women from around the globe to follow their academic interests to a career in the engineering field.

As a result of the expansion of global competition in the STEM fields and the increasing population of women and minorities in the U.S. labour force it is evident that the future of our society depends on removing the barriers that limit the advancement of women in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. The presence of women in STEM presents unique internal challenges as they are faced with issues of salary disparity, under representation, gender stereotyping, being overlooked for promotions, inadequate mentors and exclusion from informal networks. To promote career advancement of women in engineering at all levels, the task of identifying and eliminating institutional/organizational barriers, biases, and structures that impede women is critical. Acceptance into organizational networks is important to long-term advancement, as is providing access to mentoring, funding, and collaboration among industry/academia to create more professional opportunities for women in the engineering field. If you want to stay up to date with more engineering news and opportunities, make sure you subscribe to NewEngineer.com, here.