International Women In Engineering Day: Celebrating The Pink In Engineering

Women are often under-represented in the field of engineering, although many of them have contributed to the diverse field, both academically and professionally. Historically engineering was a profession limited to men but over the years, women have imprinted their presence in the nut-and-bolt field. To celebrate a shade of pink in the world of tough machines, apparatus, IT and manufacturing processes, International Women in Engineering Day is celebrated on 23 June every year around the world. The special day is recognised by UNESCO and is a tribute to the anniversary of the Women’s Engineering Society (WES), which was established on 23 June 1919. 

Today, as we witness the progress of women in every field, Pallavi Arora, Vice President of Cisco, Customer Experience (CX) Centers, said that Women in Engineering Day allows us to celebrate the unique opportunity, enabling more women to enter the IT workforce by joining forces with initiatives such as early mentorship, reskilling, and increased engagement in STEM education. She said these efforts will unlock the untapped potential of the diverse female talent, fueling innovation and creating a more inclusive world. 

According to WES research, almost 49.6 per cent of the science and engineering degrees in India were earned by women in 2018. But despite this, only 29.4 per cent of women were working in the engineering sector in 2019. Reports claim gender parity as the reason for such imbalance. Kalpana Diwakaran, Vice-President, Sales Management, at Ascendion said, “The gender imbalance in engineering is caused by biased recruiting that takes place unconsciously. Lack of representation, a lack of female role models, mentors and limited access to opportunities are the other estimated reasons for it.” 

She emphasised that organisations should take the initiative to foster a culture that embraces women's contributions and promotes inclusivity. Diwakaran underlined that one such initiative is carried out at Ascendion through "Women Café," a platform that connects women employees with mentors and experts in various areas such as college-to-career transitions, working moms, work-life harmony, and career guidance. 

Ranjani Rajanikanth, Senior Director at Honeywell Technology Solutions highlighted that in today's rapidly evolving world, the engineering landscape is undergoing a significant transformation and is driven by the demand for women engineers across various industries recognising women’s power.  

Meanwhile, Jhilmil Kochar, Managing Director, CrowdStrike India stressed that to bridge the gap in gender inequality and to provide equitable opportunities, improving the future of women in STEM, collective efforts from industry leaders, academia, government, and individuals are must. 

She added that CrowdStrike had recently partnered with India Stem Foundation (ISF), an organisation dedicated to promoting STEM education across the country and has sponsored 1,700 independent students, with an estimated sponsorship amount of approximately Rs 30 lakh. 

Nandhitha Sridharan, Senior Product Manager, Whatfix, India said, it is important to recognise the unique challenges women engineers encounter at work and implement measures to address them to foster an inclusive and empowering working environment.