Belinda Parmar cites the lack of female engineering role models in her upbringing.
Whilst I understand her point the truth is that here in the UK there is lack of role models, be they male or female, for engineering and technology. If you were to ask the man or woman in the street ‘How many UK engineering businesses you can name?’ – you’d be lucky if they knew 2 or 3.
Likewise, ‘How many present day engineers can you name?’ You might get James Dyson and there it would stop.
I can guarantee they would know far more chefs!
Then there’s the fact that a large slice of UK engineering is focused on military and defence; not exactly the industries to attract thousands of women.
Of course we do have engineering businesses whose work plays a highly constructive role in society. The big problem here is that most of them are terrible at promoting what they do to a lay audience.
The result is few teenagers, teachers or parents, knowing anything about what our Engineering companies do or make.
Not surprising the take-up of engineering studies is so low, and females veer towards their stereotypical subjects and careers.
Related articles
- Women’s magazines ignore technology and demean women (theguardian.com)
- STEM Role Models – Britain HAS Got Talented Female Engineers(cascaid.wordpress.com)
- You’ll Find Almost No Mention Of Technology In Most Women’s Magazines(businessinsider.com)
- Is engineering too geeky for girls? Of course not (theguardian.com)
- Vince Cable says UK economy hampered by lack of female engineers(theguardian.com)
- You’ll Find Almost No Mention Of Technology In Most Women’s Magazines(mukeshbalani.wordpress.com)