I’m a woman in electrical engineering, hear me roar!

Opinion

When the Lionesses won the Women’s Euro final in 2022, it sparked conversation about how football has been traditionally male-dominated, which has deprived young girls from enjoying the sport. But as engineers know, female underrepresentation is not restricted to football. Tracey Richards, production team leader at signal conditioning and wireless telemetry specialist Mantracourt, recounts the challenges she’s faced on her career path in engineering.

Liondartois via Creative Commons

As a result of missing years at primary school, I was unable to read and write. Many people saw me as an idiot. As a result, I had no interest in school. Like many girls who are unable to play the sports they want to, my choices were limited. I wanted to do woodwork and metalwork; everything that could help me become a mechanic. Instead, I had to do short hand typing, needlework and cookery. I wasn’t interested in that, so I stopped going to school! I was suspended and put on report for not fitting into society’s mould.

My inspiration was my dad. He was a forward-thinking man who told me that just because I was a woman, it didn’t mean that I couldn’t achieve what a man can. He was a senior electrician and he taught me how to wire plugs and sockets. When my car broke down, my dad made me mend it. I remember being out in the freezing cold, under the bonnet, repairing my car. My dad did not believe in traditional gender roles. If it hadn’t been for him, I would not be the person I am today.

Stepping into the electrical engineering industry

I left school before I turned 16, with minimal qualifications, and I managed to get a job in the electronics industry. I enjoyed repairing printed circuit boards because it was hands-on and this kickstarted my career.

I had to work harder than men in order to be noticed for my achievements. I remember working for one company that clearly did not want a woman in a supervisory role. They would put plenty of men in those roles who were not interested or even capable of doing the work. Only after so many failures did they eventually ask me to do the job.

The only time that I wasn’t given a supervisory role was when my children were very young and I think many women experience this. Women are pressured to choose between a successful career and a family. The dream of ‘having it all’ is hard in practice.

This is because a woman may work the same amount of hours as her male partner but she may also be expected to stop working to provide childcare, do the majority of the housework or even care for ageing parents. We feel burnt out because of unpaid work that is expected of us and can suffer in our careers as we aren’t seen as dedicated.

Taking inspiration from the Lionesses

Women in electrical engineering need to keep fighting. The number of men who doubt us, as they did the England team, are getting smaller from when I was younger. Having a support network is invaluable. I had my dad, the Lionesses had it from their fanbase. Love and support drives us to do what we enjoy, even when others are trying to push us down.

I’ve been working at Mantracourt for eleven years and as the size of the company has increased, so have my responsibilities as a team-leader. I’m fortunate to get along extremely well with my manager. I can express my opinion and those views are not ignored. It’s important to work for a company that values the work that women do and listens to what we have to say.  

My advice for the younger generation would be to do what you love. You will spend a large amount of your life working so don’t compromise. Start an apprenticeship if you don’t want to go to university, explore different careers or try a male-dominated sport or hobby. That’s what I did, and I have no regrets.

Tracey Richards is production team leader at signal conditioning and wireless telemetry specialist Mantracourt