Why it's important to create more opportunities for women in engineering

Women remain underrepresented in engineering roles across the board, yet there are huge benefits to increasing diversity. Fifty years ago, women accounted for just 1% of the engineering workforce. Since then, things have improved—but not dramatically. Figures from the Women’s Engineering Society in June last year estimate that only 16.5% of engineers are women.

The opportunity for gender equality in engineering varies globally. Some European countries are significantly ahead—Lithuania has an engineering workforce estimated at 57% female, followed by Norway at 54.7%—though these countries account for a much smaller share of the global market. For context, Lithuania’s engineering employment is roughly 30 times smaller than the UK, where women make up just 40% of 3.5 million engineers.

Why is it important to get more women in engineering?

It’s essential to question gender imbalances in any industry. Everyone deserves equal respect and opportunity, and underrepresentation makes it harder for more people from that group to enter the field.

From a business perspective, greater diversity brings fresh ideas and perspectives. In engineering, this can mean identifying solutions that might otherwise be overlooked. Historical examples highlight the consequences of male-dominated perspectives:

• Safety measures in the automotive industry were exclusively tested with male dummies until 2011, ignoring half the population with different body shapes.

• By the late 1990s, eight out of ten prescription drugs were removed from US markets because research trials focused predominantly on men, resulting in greater health risks for women.

Women engineers also create role models and influence workplace culture, helping to replace stereotypes about what an engineer “should” look like or act like. Young girls seeing women drive innovation in key industries are inspired to pursue STEM careers themselves.

This is critical because STEM industries—from advanced engineering to technology and energy—are growing rapidly, and specialists are in high demand. Failing to inspire the next generation could have disastrous consequences for the sector. Now is the time to create a more balanced and inclusive engineering job market.

CMC’s commitment to women in engineering

At Coalesce, we are proud to be an employer committed to diversity & inclusion, delivering sustainable, meaningful, action-led change.

When hiring new consultants, we strive to remove bias that could prevent talented individuals from joining and delivering expert service to our global clients. Women are represented at every level of our business, including our executive board, and we hold ourselves accountable through our annual diversity report.

The sectors we work in—renewable energy and life sciences—lend themselves well to attracting more women. Research by Harvard Business Review shows women are statistically more likely than men to seek socially conscious engineering work.

As a specialist management consultancy, we focus on pioneering sectors that are changing the world—from energy to advanced engineering. We work with companies that drive positive change, impacting people globally. Our service charter commits us to adapt, overcome, and deliver sustainable impact.

Get in touch today

With expert consultants of all genders available to support your engineering project, Coalesce Management Consulting can help you manage your team, overcome obstacles and fill in the gaps in your project or operation. 

Get in touch today to discover how our expert-led service can benefit you.