Great! :)
Thanks, we'll contact you soon.
Why I'm on a Mission to Empower and Elevate Women in Engineering
In 2014 in the United Kingdom, Women in Engineering Day was born from the 95th anniversary of the Women’s Engineering Society. In celebration of nearly a century of representing and advocating for a woman’s place in the different fields of engineering, the society launched a day to honor women in the industry for all their contributions.
Since 2017, the day has been recognized internationally and is continuing to grow in popularity each year. The main idea of the celebration is to encourage the future growth of women in the engineering sector and focus on the many opportunities for women to excel in the industry.
At Integrant today, 50% of our tech leadership positions are held by women and 40% of our engineering teams are women. This is huge in the software development field as a study done in early 2020 on the global gender distribution scale in software development only showed 8% out of 51,406 respondents being women.
With our commitment to an anti-discriminatory workplace, Integrant continues to make strides towards inclusivity on all levels of our company every day. On this day, and every day we thank all women in engineering for their hard work and dedication that makes them strong contributors to the industry.
Pioneers of Woman-Led Positions in Engineering
As VP of Client Delivery, I work passionately towards creating an inclusive and comfortable environment for both staff and clients. I recognize the importance of equal representation on both ends and do my best to continuously create a more inclusive workplace here at Integrant.
To show accurate appreciation for current women in engineering, it is important to not forget the women who pioneered their ways through the industry years ago:
Ellen Henrietta Swallow
Ellen Henrietta Swallow was the first woman admitted to MIT. After graduating in 1873, she became an industrial and environmental chemist, pioneering sanitary engineering.
Julia Morgan
Julia Morgan graduated from UC Berkeley’s College of Mechanics with an engineering degree in 1894. She later became an architect and designed over 700 buildings in California.
Alice Perry
Alice Perry was the first woman in Europe to graduate with a civil engineering degree in 1906 from Queens College Galway.
Elsie Gregory MacGill
Elsie Gregory MacGill was the first woman in Canada to earn an electrical engineering degree from the University of Toronto.
Mary W. Jackson
Mary W. Jackson became NASA’s first Black woman engineer in 1958 when she was promoted to an Aeronautical Engineer.
My Commitment to Workplace Inclusivity
My passion for women in engineering grew from the passion I have always carried for advocacy for women in the workplace. I mean, I would call myself a feminist. I come from a long line of strong, independent women who all had great determination to persevere in life no matter what roadblocks were placed ahead of them. Being surrounded by so many incredible female figures shaped my love for the empowerment of women.
One of the many reasons I have continued my career at Integrant for so long is because of how forward-thinking and passionate our CEO, Yousef, is when it comes to inclusivity in the workplace and the importance of empowering women in this industry.
It is because of his influence and commitment to equal opportunity and the personal and professional growth of all staff at Integrant that I've never felt limited in this company because of my gender. I continue to receive an abundance of support and encouragement to take on more interests without outside limitations of any kind.
Integrant has the unique ability to give opportunities to women who are looking to train in positions of leadership and engineering not just in one place but across continents. Our locations in San Diego, California, Cairo, Egypt, and Amman, Jordan allow us to provide more opportunities to women at an international level.
Due to this advantage, we can take a multi-lens look at the different regional and cultural backgrounds that exist in the gender hierarchy. We have the opportunity to cross-examine the similarities and differences that exist in these areas which allows us to come back and approach inclusivity in the workplace with a greater moral compass.
When hiring people at Integrant, we look for people who are not only incredible at what they do but also line up with our company culture and value things such as inclusivity and equal opportunity. As a company, we're always looking to do the right thing and that trickles down to our employees. We want people who are willing and recognize the importance of having open discussions on these topics and are willing to learn and and grow alongside the company.
I hold a strong belief that a woman should have the opportunity to make choices about her career and family on her own, free of judgment or comparison to other women, and that all those choices are valid.
While I am not an engineer myself, I'm a strong advocate for women in engineering. I know the Agile process and software development life cycle well and am constantly trying to create innovative strategies that will empower our female engineers in projects that will cater to their growth, not just as people, but as professionals as well.
Here’s to celebrating the work and achievements of women engineers at Integrant and in the industry at large today and everyday.
