Do you know that only 1% of all engineers were women in the United States abut sixty years ago?
By 2019, one in five engineers in the U.S. were women.
Statistics show that nearly half the engineering graduates of MIT were women, while the figure at historically black Tuskegee University was about 40%.
With Tuesday marking the fourth anniversary of International Women in Engineering Day, the awareness campaign that celebrates the achievements of women engineers undoubtedly begins to link with more longstanding traditions in the United States, such as the Women of Color in STEM Conference and Society of Women in Engineers.
According to historians, International Women in Engineering Day originated in 2014 as an event to mark the 95th anniversary of the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) in the United Kingdom.
The WES website describes the organization as a network of women engineers, scientists and technologists, who have offered inspiration, support and professional development that have inspired and supported diversity and engineering since 1919.
Although female engineers are still in the minority 100 years later, the celebration continues to honor women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
In the United States, the largest female engineering group is the Society of Women Engineers, which was formed in the U.S. after World War II.
In Birmingham, Alabama, Aureale Vann, who has worked at Alabama Power since graduating from Auburn University in 2014, told Alabama dot com that she believes her chosen field has “endless possibilities” for girls looking for a career.
“I think is important for more Black women to become engineers because young girls deserve to have positive female images to look up to,” Vann said. “Seeing Black women excel in a male-dominated field shows young girls that they are able to do anything," said the engineer who works in Power Delivery-Distribution in Birmingham, AL.
One of three women who received electrical engineering degrees at Auburn University, Pam Boyd graduated in 1992.
A Power Delivery Technical Services general manager for Alabama Power, Boyd said engineering was a good choice for females" because we bring diversity of thought, which drives innovation and engineered solutions that fit our state and our country,” she said.“Now Auburn graduates on average 20% females in the overall engineering program,” Boyd told Alabama dot com.
“Females bring a perspective to the field that is needed to engineer solutions in the energy sector, the medical field, industry and almost any sector of business in the world,” said Boyd, who is on the advisory council for 100 Women Strong. “Working together we can engineer solutions to have a positive impact on our communities and beyond.”
Alabama Power sponsors programs to attract girls and minorities to engineering, such as iCan and LEAP (Lineman, Engineer and Apprentice Programs), bringing students and parents to company facilities for tours and speaker presentations. The company is a sponsor of 100 Women Strong at Auburn University, which works to recruit, retain and reward females in engineering.
