Women In Engineering

𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗮𝗴𝗲, 𝗻𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿, 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿. 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲! 🦾♥️ #Technology isn’t just for the experts or those with STEM degrees. It impacts all of us - and to navigate this ongoing technological transformation, 𝘄𝗲 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 & 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘁! Because only through understanding, we build trust. As Deloitte Voice for Innovation & Tech Translator, I strive to make technology accessible, bridging the gap between technology and society, and between technology and business decision-makers. Some ideas to make tech more accessible: ✔️ 𝗨𝗽𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲! Every company has a #responsibility to prepare employees for the #future. At Deloitte, we’ve already trained nearly 11,000 colleagues with our 𝗚𝗲𝗻-𝗔𝗜 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲, empowering them to use #AI responsibly and confidently. 𝗨𝗽𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 for organizations committed to staying ahead. ✔️ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴: 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀! I’ve collaborated with the 𝗛𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 to teach coding in schools, because tech #education needs to start early. When I programmed HTML with young girls, they not only excelled but stayed focused - unlike the boys, who often got distracted by gaming. Early exposure is key to inspiring the next generation of tech talent! ✔️ 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲! To drive diversity in tech, we need more initiatives that actively include #women. Recently, I invited 30 women from my network to a robotics factory in Munich, where we 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿. Experiences like this empower women and give them the confidence to claim their space in tech. ✔️ 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆! We need more Tech Translators—people who can simplify complex technologies and make them accessible. 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 - 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. Tech isn’t just for developers; it’s for business leaders, educators, and anyone who wants to shape the future! 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲’𝘀 𝗰𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗲𝗮! 🫖 Do you feel you already have enough #access to technology? If not, what’s missing for you? 𝘐𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭: Mirjam Hagen 🫶🏽

The transportation and urban planning sectors have a gender problem. Despite women graduating from engineering and planning programs at the same rate as men, the industry remains male-dominated at the management and executive levels — where the field is 86% male in the United States, 80% in Asia, and 78% in the European Union. In spite of this, women are driving some of the most consequential urban transformations happening in cities now. This listicle from Chris and my book ‘Women Changing Cities’ highlights ten inspiring women who are challenging entrenched assumptions and helping build cities that work better for everyone: safer, healthier, more inclusive and joyful places to live: 1. Janet Sanz, Barcelona 2. Claudia López, Bogotá 3. Kalpana Viswanath, Delhi 4. Amanda Ngabirano, Kampala 5. Keisha Alena Mayuga, Manila 6. Laura Ballesteros, México 7. Valérie Plante, Montréal 8. Anne Hidalgo, Paris 9. Clover Moore AO, Sydney 10. Anuela Ristani, Tirana What unites these women across wildly different cultural and political contexts are five recurring themes: a commitment to listening and empathy; an intersectional, long-term vision; care as a social value; the power of coalition-building; and the courage to prioritize having an impact over holding on to power and pushing through the opposition. Grateful to see these stories featured by Planetizen. READ the article here: https://lnkd.in/eBC3As8K

Recommended reading! She RISES: a framework for caring cities Cities often mirror the inequalities embedded in society. She RISES: A Framework for Caring Cities, developed by surabhi tandon mehrotra, Kalpana Viswanath, Ankita Kapoor and Rwitee Mandal from Safetipin, brings this imbalance into sharp focus. It exposes how urban design and governance frequently overlook the gendered dimensions of city life, especially the invisible role of care work in sustaining urban systems. The framework is built around four core principles: Responsive, Inclusive, Safe and Equitable Spaces. Together they form an integrated approach to gender transformation through four streams of action. The first stream focuses on public spaces and infrastructure. Well-lit streets, obstacle-free pavements, safe public toilets and mixed-use neighbourhoods are presented as essential design features that enable women’s participation in urban life. The second stream addresses services and amenities, highlighting the need for childcare facilities, housing for single women, and access to affordable health care. Recognising and redistributing care work across communities, markets and the state is seen as a cornerstone of an equitable city. The third stream targets mobility and public transport. Women’s complex travel patterns, shaped by care duties and multiple destinations, require safe, affordable and well-connected systems. Gender-disaggregated data and inclusive recruitment policies in the transport sector are proposed as practical tools for change. The fourth stream concerns responses to gender-based violence, emphasising the implementation of existing laws, the establishment of crisis hubs, and public campaigns that reshape social attitudes. The She RISES framework is both analytical and operational. It is intended for planners, policy makers and urban managers who aim to embed gender sensitivity into every layer of urban governance. The report also serves as a reminder that the care economy is not peripheral but foundational to the functioning of cities. Safetipin, the social enterprise behind this work, has been collecting and analysing safety data in more than forty-five cities across Asia, Africa and Latin America. Their evidence confirms that cities designed with care in mind not only improve safety for women but also strengthen social cohesion and economic resilience for all. #GenderEquality #UrbanDevelopment #InclusiveCities #UrbanPlanning #PublicSpace #CaringCities

In 1879, Mary Walton, a groundbreaking American inventor, patented an innovative system to reduce train #pollution by funneling smoke through water. Her system aimed to improve air quality in cities affected by the thick smoke produced by trains, which was a major concern in rapidly #industrializing America. Walton's invention utilized water to trap the harmful particles in the smoke, making the air cleaner and reducing environmental damage. This approach was ahead of its time, showcasing her ingenuity and forward-thinking approach to solving urban #pollution problems. Walton didn’t stop with pollution control. After learning of Thomas Edison's failure to reduce noise from elevated #railway tracks in New York City, she took it upon herself to tackle the problem. Edison's method of sound-dampening for railway tracks had proven unsuccessful, but Walton saw it as an opportunity. In response, she developed a new sound-dampening system that was more effective, offering relief to New Yorkers who lived near the noisy and disruptive elevated trains. Her success in this venture further demonstrated her ability to solve complex issues and her critical role in shaping early #environmental #engineering. Walton's contributions to industrial innovation helped shape the way cities dealt with pollution and noise in the late 19th century. While her inventions were not widely celebrated during her time, her work laid the groundwork for later advancements in environmental engineering. Her legacy is an example of how women in science and engineering, though often overlooked, have made significant contributions to technological progress and urban development. Walton's work remains a testament to the power of innovation in improving public health and quality of life. #InnovativeWomen #EnvironmentalEngineering #WittyHistorian

𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟭𝟵𝟱𝟬𝘀? As you can imagine I consume at a lot of longevity content, and one thing keeps standing out: the biggest names I see and hear are still mostly men. 1️⃣ Only 17% of the top 100 longevity leaders are women. 2️⃣ At major conferences, lineups can be as imbalanced as 12 men for every woman. 3️⃣ In 2024, women-led startups in health and longevity attracted just 2% of venture capital in the US and Europe. 4️⃣ In research, only about 30% of scientists are women, and in drug trials women make up under 30% in early phases and about 41% later on. That imbalance whilst seemingly trivial does influence who gets the microphone, whose science is amplified, and thereby likely has knock-on effects to which companies get funded. Whilst less pronounced, the imbalance seems reminiscent of the past ✔️ After the thalidomide crisis in the 1950s, women were excluded from most clinical trials until 1993. ✔️ For decades medicine defaulted to the male body, leaving women with more side effects, misdiagnoses, and treatments that didn’t fit their biology. ✔️ Even now, they are 50–75% more likely than men to have adverse drug reactions. Of course men can talk about women's health and cite studies, but I believe it isn't the same as when women lead the conversation. With their biology, longer lifespans, and greater burden of chronic illness, women bring nuance and lived experience that male-led research can possibly miss in addition to simply being more likely to inspire behavioral change in female audiences. Still, the spotlight often circles the same few male voices, while equally credible women don’t always get the same recognition. Yet there are already incredible names in the space: → Dr. Rhonda Patrick: breaking down complex aging science for a mass audience. → Celine Halioua (Loyal): raised $125M+ to develop the first FDA-approved longevity drug. → Kristen Fortney Fortney (BioAge Labs): using AI and biobank data to target aging pathways. → Robin Berzin MD (Parsley Health): building a new model for preventive, personalized care. → Anne Fulenwider (Alloy Health): tackling menopause as a central longevity issue. → Dr. Gabrielle Lyon: putting muscle health at the center of longevity. → Stacy T. Sims, PhD.: proving that “women are not small men.” through research → Roma Van der Walt (Vitelle): creating longevity protocols designed for women. → Lucia Kupcova: supporting healthspan ventures and investors. → Kate Ryder (Maven Clinic): built the first women’s health unicorn and is reshaping femtech investing.

In 1988, when women drivers were often underestimated, Surekha Yadav stepped into the locomotive cabin and quietly rewrote history. India’s and Asia’s first woman train driver has now retired after 36 remarkable years, guiding everything from the iconic Deccan Queen to the high-speed Vande Bharat Express without a single blemish on her record. Her journey is more than personal achievement it’s a powerful case for women’s participation in sectors once called “too tough.” According to the International Labour Organization, every 10% increase in female workforce participation can add ~1% to a nation’s GDP growth. Surekha proves the old proverb: “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” The rails were not always smooth, but her persistence turned every challenge into momentum. As she hangs up her driver’s cap, she leaves behind more than miles travelled she leaves a track of inspiration for every woman who dares to steer where few have gone before. Nitin Gadkari Ashwini Vaishnaw LinkedIn News India Indian Railways

"You can be whatever you want: an astronaut, a physicist, a teacher, an economist," my dad would tell me and my sisters.    I decided to pursue the sciences at a time when there were few female role models in the field of energy. It led to a fascinating and rewarding career, even though – more often than not – I was the only woman at the table.    I was fortunate to grow up knowing that any job is a girl's job.    But, across the world, stereotypes and biases still hold too many girls back from studying science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).    And yet, we know that countries with more STEM talent grow faster and create more opportunities for everyone.    So how can we inspire more girls and women to follow their passion and take up the challenge? By:    👩🏿🔬 Encouraging girls early on to see science as a way to break new ground and helping them find inspiration in trailblazing #WomenInScience.    🔭 Breaking stigmas by making STEM fun and accessible, for example, through initiatives like after-school programs or online learning platforms.    👩🏻🚀 Ensuring that workplace environments and work-life balance enable women to thrive in science. 

When we talk about Viksit Bharat@2047, we often speak about technology, infrastructure, and innovation. But there’s another dimension that will define our future: who will build it? In India’s tech sector today, women make up an impressive 34% of entry-level roles — one of the highest in the world. Yet, as we climb higher, the numbers drop sharply: 13% at managerial levels, 7% at leadership levels, and just 8% in the C-suite. This isn’t about capability or ambition. It’s about the barriers that still exist -  career breaks without structured pathways back, the “messy middle” where growth stalls, unconscious bias in promotions, and fewer opportunities for sponsorship or skilling in emerging areas like AI, cloud, and cybersecurity. If we are to truly power Viksit Bharat, we need to fix this leaky pipeline. Women must not only participate, but also leadbuilding AI systems, driving digital public infrastructure, and shaping the innovation agenda for the world. The way forward is clear: 🔹 Structured returnships with mentorship and reskilling. 🔹 Intentional sponsorship to help women navigate the “middle.” 🔹 Skilling at scale in next-gen tech. 🔹 Representation in academia, industry, and policy. By 2047, India will have the world’s largest working-age population. To be future-ready and globally competitive, our workforce must not just be digitally empowered, but also equitably led. You can read more of my thoughts in my recent column for Business Today: https://shorturl.at/MfP1N #ViksitBharat #DigitalIndia

Abi’s Black Excellence Fridays: Katherine Johnson🚀 In 1962, John Glenn was about to become the first American to orbit Earth. But he refused to launch until Katherine Johnson personally verified the IBM computer’s calculations. “If she says they’re good,” Glenn said, “then I’m ready to go.” Think about that. A Black woman’s mathematical genius was the final word on whether America’s space program could proceed. Katherine Johnson didn’t just calculate trajectories, she calculated her way through Jim Crow laws, using “colored” bathrooms while computing the mathematics that would define the space race. When she started at NASA (then NACA) in 1953, she was literally called a “computer” because that’s what they called the Black women who did the complex calculations by hand. Here’s what they don’t teach you: Katherine insisted on attending briefings where women were banned. She asked so persistently that they eventually relented. She co-authored 26 scientific papers at a time when women’s contributions were routinely erased. When NASA transitioned to electronic computers, she was the one teaching the machines. Her calculations didn’t just put Americans in space, they brought them home safely. From Mercury to Apollo 11 to the Space Shuttle, Katherine’s work touched every major moment in space exploration. Yet her name remained classified, hidden in history, for decades. 🥹 She lived to 101, long enough to see Hidden Figures tell her story, receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and have NASA facilities named in her honor. Long enough to inspire countless Black girls to see themselves in STEM. In an era where we debate whether AI will replace human brilliance, remember Katherine Johnson – proof that innovation requires not just computation, but courage, intuition, and the audacity to demand your seat at the table. 💫 AA✨ (Substack link in comments 👀) —————————————————— Every Friday, I celebrate Black pioneers whose brilliance shaped our world. These are the phenomenal figures who transformed impossibilities into history. ✊🏾

The strongest predictor of whether a girl stays in STEM isn't her grades, her test scores, or even her interest level. It's whether she can look around the room and see someone who looks like her succeeding in it. That's one of the central findings from a recent deep dive in Psychology Today into the psychology behind why capable young women and girls leave science, technology, engineering, and math long before any real test of talent takes place. And it reframes the whole conversation. 🔬 Researchers call it "social identity threat," the concern that your group is devalued in a particular space. When women were placed in a STEM environment with a skewed men-to-women ratio, they showed measurably higher cognitive and physiological stress and reported a weaker sense of belonging. The men in the same study were completely unaffected. This "belonging uncertainty" disproportionately affects people from historically excluded groups and has been shown to predict both disengagement and lower achievement. 🧪 The flip side is just as striking. Exposure to female experts in STEM strengthened women's sense of identity in these fields, raised their self-confidence, and increased their motivation. Researchers describe this effect as a stereotype "inoculation," building genuine resistance to the subtle messages that say you don't belong here. 💡 Even the décor in a room sends signals. Studies show that swapping stereotypical objects in a computer science classroom, like sci-fi posters, for neutral ones raised women's interest to match that of their male peers. The perception that STEM is solitary, competitive, and offers little chance to collaborate or help others is itself enough to push people away, especially those who value working with and for others. So what can actually change things? The research points to five clear actions: ✨ Make role models visible, online and in person. ✨ Speak up against bias and re-credit women's contributions when they get talked over. ✨ Frame challenges as chances to grow, not tests of fixed ability. ✨ Audit the spaces you control: who is on the walls, how the work is described. ✨ Build peer communities and mentorship networks where women and girls aren't developing their skills in isolation. When an environment signals that you belong here, capability has room to follow. Read the full article in Psychology Today to learn more about the psychology behind women and girls in STEM! 👉 https://lnkd.in/eu_3HiXn #WomenInSTEM #GirlsInSTEM #STEMGems #GiveGirlsRoleModels 💜🩷💙💚 Role models are essential. For over a decade, STEM Gems has been putting girls in rooms with women who look like them and are thriving in STEM, because that visibility changes everything. If this resonates with you, consider supporting our work. Learn more about our decade of impact and donate to STEM Gems here: https://lnkd.in/ed-nJVsN