Women in Engineering
August 20, 2019 – Karryn Fulton , CEO of CS Davidson Engineering. Spoke to us about women in engineering. Engineering remains one of the highest paying jobs that doesn’t require a graduate degree. It’s no wonder, then, that many young men and women choose this career path. However, there is a huge gap between the number of male and female engineers. It appears that entering the field is one thing, but staying in it is another matter entirely. Only 13% of engineers in the country are women, though females account for 20% of all engineering degrees earned. Why aren’t there more women engineers:
- Women are expected to perform at a higher level than male counterparts to prove that they “belong” in a company.
- Many women in the field find it hard to balance their femininity with the authority required to turn blueprints into reality. Too soft and you’re seen as incompetent; too hard and you’re too bossy.
- Another tough choice that women have to make is choosing between pursuing their career or starting a family.
While cultural attitudes towards women in engineering are hard to break, it isn’t impossible.