Comment: IET's Dr Laura Norton on how engineering is still failing women

You’d think after more than a decade of celebrating International Women in Engineering Day (INWED), we’d be telling a different story by now. And yet, here we are. Women make up just 16.9 per cent of the engineering and technology workforce in the UK (source: EngineeringUK). An increase from last year at least, but it’s not enough. We need to do better.

Engineering isn’t just about building bridges or designing the latest gadgets. It’s about solving the biggest, most complex challenges of our time like climate change, healthcare, and the future of technology. And you can’t solve problems for the whole of humanity when you’re missing half its perspectives.

So, what’s holding us back? It’s not talent. It’s not ambition. It’s not potential. It’s an old system built on outdated stereotypes, invisible barriers, and a chronic shortage of visible, relatable role models. 

But here’s the good news. Change is happening, and it’s getting serious.  At The IET we’ve recently welcomed WISE (Women into Science and Engineering) into our fold. A proactive move to double down on our mission to make engineering and technology careers truly open, accessible, and inspiring for everyone.

Together, we’re stronger. WISE brings with it forty years of experience, from its pioneering My Skills My Life platform, helping young girls see themselves in STEM careers, to its industry-leading Gender Equity Framework (previously the Ten Steps) that challenges businesses to not just talk the talk, but actually change their cultures.

Through awards, mentoring, real-world school outreach, and corporate partnerships, WISE has been lighting the path for thousands of women and girls. And now, with the IET’s global reach and resources behind them, the torch burns even brighter.

But we’re not stopping there. Earlier this year, the IET, alongside WISE, EngineeringUK, and more than 40 partner organisations, launched Gender Pathways, a national call to arms to intervene at the points where girls leak out of the pipeline. At 18, just nine per cent of students doing engineering and tech-related T Levels are girls. Girls’ interest in science during Key Stage 3 has dropped 10 per cent between 2019 and 2023 (EngineeringUK, 2024). The signs are flashing red. This is not a girl problem. It’s a system problem.

The messages girls receive, from school gates to social media feeds, still whisper, “this isn’t for you.” Add to that the lack of hands-on practical science in schools, the shortage of specialist STEM teachers, and the limited awareness of the sheer diversity of engineering careers, it’s no wonder girls turn away before they ever get the chance to step in.

And even for those who do, too many women are leaving the sector between the ages of 35 and 44, taking hard-won experience with them.

So, what’s the fix? We start young. We rewire the narrative early, showing kids that engineering is about creativity, teamwork, and improving lives. We embed real-world, inclusive role models into every stage of education, not just in posters during Science Week.

We challenge the biases that teachers and parents might not even realise they hold. Because let’s be honest, how many still picture an engineer as a man in a hard hat?

As for businesses, they need to look hard at their workplaces too, making sure women aren’t just included but supported, celebrated, and promoted all the way to the top. This isn’t optional anymore.

With the engineering skills gap looming and 725,000 new jobs needed for the UK’s net zero future alone (Climate Change Committee, 2023), we literally can’t afford to keep sidelining talent.

We know what works: Whole-school approaches. Better careers advice. Early role model exposure. Investment in essential skills. Inclusive work cultures... the list goes on. It’s time to turn conversation into action.

Imagine what we could engineer - cleaner energy, smarter cities, life-saving tech - if we opened the gates wide and welcomed every talented mind, no matter their gender.

We owe it to the next generation to build that future.

Let’s get to work.