Engineers Australia has released their research into women in engineering which can be downloaded here.
Engineers Australia commissioned research in late 2021 with the aims to:
- Identify the motivators of female participation: Why do women choose to study and work in engineering?
- Identify the barriers to female participation: What factors contribute to the low rate of female participation in engineering, and what stops women from remaining in the engineering profession?
- Identify the initiatives for driving greater female participation: What touchpoints and initiatives have the strongest potential to enhance the motivators and address the barriers?
Based on the research, Engineers Australia has identified the following key areas that need to be addressed:
- The main reason stated by women who didn’t study engineering was lack of familiarity of engineering, there is little awareness of what engineering involves.
- A lack of positive perceptions of the engineering profession – seen as male dominated and challenging, and not impactful or fulfilling
- Poor STEM engagement throughout schooling – many girls don’t feel supported to do well in STEM.
- Whilst generally a positive experience studying engineering at university, students feel less supported to do well in their studies, compared to other degrees.
- Most female engineers feel valued at work and are passionate about their work, however there are significant issues for women with workplace culture and unequal opportunities.