Women in Engineering Day 2025“Together We Engineer” – but what does that really mean?

Is it working collaboratively with your team? Is it breaking down barriers for women entering the engineering industry? Or is it something bigger?

Chances are, your feed this week will be packed with think pieces, news articles, podcasts, and polished LinkedIn posts talking about Women in Engineering Day. Some will be brilliant. Some… not so much. (Hopefully, we’re somewhere in the upper middle.)

But strip it all back—what does this day actually mean to you, right now?

Maybe you work in engineering. Maybe you don’t. Maybe you are an engineer. Maybe you aren’t. Wherever you stand, one fact is hard to ignore: only 16.5% of engineers are female.

That’s not just a stat. That’s a massive missed opportunity.

Why does it matter?

Still wondering why it’s even an issue? Here's a fun (read: slightly rage-inducing) fact: Seatbelts were designed by men… and don’t properly fit half the population. Until recently, crash test dummies were based only on male bodies. Female crash test dummies? Only introduced in the driver’s seat a few years ago. (Gasp - women can drive)

When women aren’t involved in engineering, we all lose. We lose design that works for everyone. We lose the richness of ideas, creativity, and problem-solving that comes from diverse perspectives.

So how do we change it?

5 Ways You Can Help Level the Field

1. Smash the stereotype. Let’s retire the idea that an engineer = old white guy in a lab coat with a beard. Talk to kids about what engineering actually looks like today, a creative, exciting, wide-ranging career choice. Whether it’s school talks or chatting with the kids in your life, every conversation counts.

2. Open doors, especially for those who usually get shut out. That means offering work experience to girls, young people from underrepresented communities, or those from less affluent areas. If they can see it, they can be it.

3. Build inclusive spaces early. Whether it’s an apprenticeship, college or degree course, women in male-dominated cohorts should feel valued, not like guests at someone else’s party.

4. Sort the kit out. PPE designed for women isn’t a luxury. It’s basic respect. No more “just wear a men’s small”, we’re not built the same. Let’s not pretend we are.

5. Be a consistent ally. Understand that women may experience the workplace differently than you do. Even between women, experiences differ. Being an ally means listening, amplifying, and advocating, even when it’s uncomfortable or inconvenient.

And what’s in it for you?

Well, you’ll get to work alongside brilliant, innovative, creative women who are literally designing and engineering a better world. One clever solution at a time.

So, as Women in Engineering Day draws to a close on 23 June, what’s your pledge.

How will you support women in your team, in your workplace, in your world?

Let’s make the future more equal, more exciting, and definitely more engineered - with everyone at the table.

#WomenInEngineeringDay #TogetherWeEngineer #FutureForce #Apprenticeships #WomenInSTEM #EngineeringForEveryone #LevelTheField