Celebrating 10 years of International Women in Engineering Day

This year’s event uses the theme of safety and security to celebrate women in engineering

International Women in Engineering Day is today celebrating its tenth anniversary.

This year’s theme is #MakeSafetySeen and is intended to celebrate the work that women engineers around the world are doing to support lives and livelihoods every day.

With 2021 figures indicating that in the UK only 16.5% of engineers are women, the annual International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) event provides female engineers with an opportunity to shine in an industry where they are still hugely underrepresented.

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As the only event of its kind, INWED plays a vital role in encouraging more young women and girls to take up engineering careers.

International Women in Engineering Day began in the UK in 2014 as a national campaign from the Women’s Engineering Society. Since then, INWED has gone truly global and even received UNESCO patronage in 2016.

The 2022 campaign achieved a potential reach of over 656 million people, celebrated by individuals across the world.

For its tenth anniversary, it is aiming to increase engagement and awareness to encourage individuals and organisations from all corners of the globe to drive the topic of diversity and inclusion.

Celebrating International Women in Engineering Day

INWED is an event for female engineers and allies who wish to strive and ensure their organisation is doing everything possible to be fair and open to all.

Joanna Whiteman, Head of Diversity and Inclusion at the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “At the Academy, we’re impatient for an acceleration in the number of women engineers joining and thriving in our profession.

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“Our Inclusive Cultures research shows there is much further to go. We’re therefore pleased to sponsor INWED and to help highlight the exceptional talent and impact of women in engineering.”

A highlight of this year’s event is the annual INWED Webinar which showcases several influential figures within the industry, including Dame Dawn Childs DBE FREng, Dr Nina Baker and Amanda Creak, EMEA CIO and Head of EMEA Technology, Morgan Stanley.