Trail Blazers: Leading UK female engineers from across industry tell us about their roles and their career paths

When the editors at The Engineer sat down to discuss this year’s INWED special feature, we knew we wanted to focus on the exciting and challenging nature of the work, rather than get bogged down in facts and figures around the gender gap. Highlighting the sector’s shortcomings with respect to female representation is incredibly important, and something that’s addressed across several pages in this issue. But INWED is also about championing the exceptional women who are bucking the trend, sharing their stories and showcasing engineering as a diverse, engaging and rewarding career. 

Since our last INWED special 12 months ago, ‘diversity’ has become something of a dangerous word, even spoken of with contempt in certain quarters. As a result, countless companies and organisations are quietly scrapping initiatives to fall in line with the prevailing political winds. How this will impact workforce representation remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: diversity is a strength. Diversity of thought, diversity of background, diversity of education and skills - these things fuel innovation, creativity and progress, and any engineer worth their salt will tell you as much.