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International Women in Engineering Day 2021
June 23rd will mark the eighth official year of International Women in Engineering Day. In celebrating the achievements of women in engineering, it's important to recognize both the progress that has been made and what progress still needs to come.
In the world of software development, it's important to recognize the disproportionate figures of the number of men vs. women currently in the industry. Even further than that, we must also take notice of the differences in roles and levels of pay that exist between men and women in software.
Today, at Integrant, 50% of our tech leadership positions are held by women and 40% of our engineering positions are held by women. As a company, we strive for equal opportunity at every level. That being said, we acknowledge our percentage of women in leadership positions as both an achievement and a starting point. There is always room for advancement and expansion when it comes to opportunities for women in software engineering and we are committed to continuing this progress.
What is International Women in Engineering Day?
Women in Engineering Day has a rich history stemming from the end of WWI. After the war in 1919, a group of women in Europe established the Women’s Engineering Society. The society’s role was to support and provide opportunities for women who currently held or were looking for roles in engineering.
In celebration of its 95th anniversary in 2014, the Women’s Engineering Society created International Women in Engineering day. The establishment of this day was to spread awareness of a woman’s value in engineering and promote opportunities for women in the industry.
In 2017, the day was officially recognized as an international observance and has since been celebrated every June 23rd worldwide.
Why is Women in Engineering Day Important?
While recognizing this day, the Women’s Engineering Society encourages all sectors of the industry to take part in applauding their woman engineers and present ideas that will encourage more women to enter the industry.
An identified issue with the disproportionate number of females in engineering is the lack of awareness of opportunities. The more the industry focuses on the growth of women engineers and re-brands engineering as an equal opportunity position, the more access women will have to obtain better roles.
A second identified issue comes from a subconscious bias against hiring women engineers. By recognizing females in engineering and applauding them for their work and value, a conversation is opened about inclusivity in the workplace. Taking uncomfortable topics such as inclusivity and workplace discrimination and turning them into natural conversations kickstarts a deeper dive into dismantling common hierarchies seen in every industry.
Our Approach to Women in Engineering and Leadership Roles
As a company, we are aware of the significant difference that exists between the number of men who hold engineering and leadership positions compared to women. In software engineering in specific, there are significantly fewer women in engineering roles.
There is a definite need for having women fill these roles, but there is often a lack of encouragement for women to pursue them. One of our top priorities is to do our part in bettering equal opportunities in software engineering for females in engineering and encouraging them to take them.
Inclusivity Starts at the Foundation
Declaring your company is an equal opportunity workplace, and actually working to make this a reality are very different things. At Integrant, we established our commitment to inclusivity in the foundation of the company and grew from there.
One of our four core principles the company was founded on and continues to live by is to be free of any discrimination. It is not enough as a leader to just believe in something such as anti-discrimination. You have to consistently put this belief into action and set in motion the right tools in order for your company or team to become transparent on anti-discrimination practices.
One tool we use at all levels of our company is the idea of turning uncomfortable conversations into natural conversations. For example, when it comes to discrimination of any kind it is important to sit down and dive deep into all possible scenarios in which discriminatory thoughts or actions may take place. Once you have these scenarios pinpointed, they need to be approached, analyzed, and dismantled.
A common occurrence in situations of discrimination in the workplace is subconscious prejudice. For this reason, it is crucial to establish an environment that makes the accountability of every staff member normal and comfortable to approach. This way when subconscious biases are noticed, they are not swept under the rug, but respectfully acknowledged, digested, and worked on.
The Effects of a Solid Foundation and Our Commitment to Equal Opportunity
Thanks to our anti-discrimination pillar, we have been able to approach internal and external issues at the base of the problem and provide clarity and solutions at all levels. Doing so has helped us reach our current standing of having 50% of our squad and tech leadership roles being held by women.
Our commitment to continuing to uphold an equal opportunity workplace and provide more opportunities to women in engineering is a top priority. We strive to not only instill confidence and value in women but to provide opportunities of growth and expansion both professionally and personally. We are proud to again be celebrating another a year of International Women in Engineering Day!
