It’s clear – There is a lack of women in science, engineering, and construction. The number of female engineers today has improved since the early 1980s (5.8% of engineers in the U.S. were women), but is still very low: According to the Congressional Joint Economic Committee, only 14% of engineers are women.

Great loss

Science, engineering, and society, in general, face a great loss if this situation continues. Great talent is being untapped. This especially becomes clear in point four of the list below, which shows that women are drawn to engineering with a social context and mission.

What are the reasons for the lack of women in engineering?

1. Historical restrictions: In the early twentieth century, few women were admitted to engineering programs and they were generally viewed as curiosities by their male counterparts.
2. Unfortunate stereotypes: A common labeling that links masculinity to technology is still prevalent. This gender stereotyping starts directly after birth — blue things for boys, pink for girls. And when they get toys: A chemistry set for Jeff, a doll for Jenny.
3. Career and motherhood: Women mostly have greater family obligations, being the ones who end up making sure things don’t fall apart at home.
4. Goals of Engineering: Women seem to be drawn to engineering projects that attempt to achieve societal good. A research among dozens of universities with programs aimed at reducing global poverty and inequality showed: 52 – 74% of the enrolled students are female (study performed by Lina Nilsson, innovation director at the Blum Center for Developing Economies at the University of California).
5. Lack of role models: Since there are so little female engineers, there are also very few, that function as an example for young women to look up to and follow their path.

All this shows: The key to increasing the number of female engineers may not just be mentorship programs or child care facilities — which are, of course, still important. It could be reframing the goals of engineering research and curriculums to be more directed towards societal needs. And this is not only about gender equity — it is about doing better engineering for all of us.

Here are some examples of woman engineers who followed a great career:

• Dr. Nancy D. Fitzroy is an internationally recognized expert in the mechanical engineering field. She worked on the first satellite placed into orbit for General Electric.
• Linda Y. Cureton is CEO of Muse Technologies, Inc., which specializes in IT transformation.  Before, she was Chief Information Officer of the NASA. She led one of the best IT organizations in government.
• Helen Barratt is the most senior of only four executive managers working within operations at BAE Systems Submarine Solutions. She won the Manufacturing ‘First Women Award’ in 2009 and helped to break down barriers in a male-dominated industry.

More remarkable woman to come

Graebert™ will further publish biographies of remarkable women that have significantly contributed to innovation in science, engineering, and construction. We want to bring more light on these exceptional innovators, hoping it will contribute to motivating more women to follow their path. We simply can’t wait for all the great products and inventions they will build for our future. Feel free to share with us the names of the remarkable women that have been inspiring you at ocm@graebert.com.

About Graebert

Graebert is a leading developer of CAD software, solutions, and services — recognized as a true innovator in the CAD industry and have over 30 years of expertise. Graebert’s DWG-based CAD systems were the first to run on Windows®, Mac® and Linux®. Graebert is also a pioneer in mobile CAD technologies, first on Windows and now Android®.

More recently Graebert announced a full DWG-based CAD platform for the Cloud. Graebert‘s product portfolio is anchored by ARES Commander — a powerful, DWG-based CAD software with 2D and 3D modeling capabilities — which also enables developers to create standalone CAD applications.

Overall, more than 7 million professionals use Graebert’s CAD technologies in more than 100 countries. Graebert also specializes in building surveying software and services. The SiteMaster™ line of „as built“ surveying solutions, as well as worldwide surveying services are included under Graebert‘s iSurvey™ brand and division.

Visit www.graebert.com to learn more about Graebert.