Tipping the scales of inequality in engineering

This article originally appeared in the May'23 magazine issue of Electronic Specifier Design – see ES's Magazine Archives for more featured publications.

“It was very last minute that I went to university because I was still deciding what to do. I wanted to do engineering, but so far, men made up most of the pupils in my physics and maths classes. That didn’t put me off, but it did make me question ‘is this really a career I should pursue?’

“I have always loved engineering and physics … and in A-levels physics I loved learning about radar and sound – the doppler effect. That got me interested in what I could do.”

Sarah went on to study Digital Communication Engineering at the University of Westminster, where she once again encountered the disproportionate ratio between men and women, but by this time, the difference was not felt so keenly.

“I went into BEng Engineering at university. There were five girls and 80 men in the class, but I enjoyed it because I’d reached a point when I didn’t notice I was different. I just carried on as normal. Over time lots of people dropped out to do other things, but the five girls held on.”

An advocate

Despite not feeling different from her male counterparts, Sarah could not help but continue to notice the lack of women in each company she worked for. This disparity led her to becoming a volunteer for STEM in schools via the Siemens Power Academy, with whom she worked for at the time.

“Siemens is a STEM champion, and they opened opportunities for me to speak to children and young adults about maths and science.

“But even now [I’ve left Siemens] I’m still aware of the lack of women, and I’m still trying to get women to know that mathematics and science are for everyone.”

When the maths makes sense

Sarah was always fascinated by sound, especially the effect it made when travelling in a car. But when she was younger, she didn’t realise there was a science behind it. That maths could play a part in predicting an outcome.

“I teach my children algebra and multiplication, but they have no real interest in it now … it’s when it can be applied to concepts in our everyday lives [that the interest starts]. I’ve always liked that part of mathematics – the part of solving puzzles.

Sarah’s love of engineering and the industry shines through, and she enjoys the excitement engineering brings.

“My typical day [at XP Power] varies. I interact with everything to do with product realisation. The product designs are exciting, but there are a variety of things that happen to realise a product … there are interactions with accounting, project management, marketing, manufacturing. There is diversity in the design itself, but also diversity in the people, and diversity in the fields that we’re experts in.”

Having held engineering roles in firms such as Siemens and XP Power, Sarah points out that no matter what career path you follow, the commonality in engineering is technology.

“My goal as an engineer is to contribute towards building products that are useful … Whatever product it is you intend to design and build, you look to build it efficiently, use the correct resources, make it manufacturable, and meet the requirements of the customer. It is also important to me that it is built sustainably to meet the challenges faced today.

“I enjoy the whole product journey, starting with the front-end marketing and project management and making sure that the processes in capturing what the market needs are there, all the way through to design and manufacturing.

“I love being able to stay technical, yet have a much broader view, allowing me to see a product from start to finish.”

Early challenges

In her early years, the language barrier was a challenge for Sarah. But now, having overcome it and worked for global companies, Sarah realises that everyone is different, and each person has their own challenges.

But another, more personal, challenge was returning to a role at a previous company after maternity leave.

Like a lot of mothers, Sarah was keen to go back to work and knew she was ready for it. However, when she went back, the comments she received that “are not intended to hurt you, but they unintentionally hurt you nonetheless” were felt. She was questioned in passing on the number of children she planned to have, and on how her performance could be reviewed considering her being away. Sarah thinks part of this misconception is because if people don’t see you physically in an office, they assume that you’re “on holiday” or that you haven’t worked.

However, Sarah says that at XP Power she feels very included, and even when she’s the only woman in a room of men, no one seems to have a problem with it or take any notice of it. They are all there to do a good job, and that’s what they do.

Overcoming inequality

When it comes to tipping the scales of inequality in engineering, there are large barriers to overcome, but there are also micro barriers to be addressed. These micro barriers are unconscious words or actions that aren’t intended to make a person feel unwelcome, but which aren’t wholly inclusive either. Despite these unintentional exclusions, however, Sarah still loves engineering.

“Subtle things can put a person off. We encourage women to get into this industry and say they can overcome stereotypes … overcome unintentional biases where there’s a tendency to say things like ‘thank you lads’, or ‘gents’ at the end of a meeting. It can make a woman feel she’s not included. But you pass all that and you just enjoy this lovely industry that is engineering. It’s very creative, it’s very fascinating, and you enjoy everything else that comes with it.”

Holding on to women in engineering

“Studies indicate that during university women are very good at engineering, possibly even better than their male counterparts. So, to lose that capability later in life is such a shame.

“Women have started in engineering, but they have moved into other roles, not because it’s their natural interest, but because maybe life has taken them in that direction. I really think that it is a shame that they don’t continue with engineering.

“We need to break the moulds that are still there. Overcome those male stereotypes. Show that we can have brilliant female engineers.

“Part of the reason women leave – after they’ve overcome working in a male-dominated industry – is because they don’t see enough of themselves in the ‘top roles’, so they question ‘what can I do next?’… There aren’t enough female role models in the senior roles of engineering.

“Role models are crucial … you have to physically see a person like you doing the same role. That can help a person aspire to achieve the same in their career.”