30 Aug Building gender diversity in South Africa’s engineering sector from the ground up
By Chris Campbell, CEO of Consulting Engineers South Africa
Achieving gender diversity in South Africa’s engineering industry is an ongoing imperative that requires concerted efforts not only within the industry itself but also across South Africa’s educational system. While progress has been made in recent years, the underrepresentation of women and marginalised groups in engineering roles remains a challenge.
To create a truly diverse workforce, it is essential to lay the groundwork early, fostering interest and engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields among young children. This holistic approach will ensure that future generations, with a focus on females, are better equipped to contribute to and thrive in the engineering sector.
While there are ongoing efforts in the engineering industry to see real transformation in terms of gender diversity, we must also really dissect the value chain outside an industry perspective – for example, how many young female learners are working towards a career in engineering, how many qualify to study engineering, and once qualified, how many of these female graduates enter the consulting engineering field.
According to the Engineering Council of South Africa’s (ECSA) 2021/22 Annual Report, women represent only 22% of all registered engineers, with a stark contrast in specialised categories. In the Professional Engineer (Pr Eng) category, only 6% are women, while the Technologist (Pr Tech) category sees a slightly better representation at 50%. However, in the Technician (Pr Techni Eng) category, women make up 25%.
These figures reveal a significant gender gap that highlights the systemic barriers women face in entering and advancing within the engineering profession. According to the CESA’s Bi-Annual Economic and Capacity Survey conducted in December 2023, female engineers in the industry increased from 100 in 2013 to 400 in 2023, indicating progress but still falling short of achieving gender parity.
In order to promote diversity in the engineering workforce or any profession, it is crucial to initiate change at the earliest stages of education. Early childhood development programmes that promote STEM concepts can ignite interest in engineering among young girls and children from underrepresented backgrounds.
Educational outreach programmes that promote engineering as a viable career option can challenge stereotypes and encourage girls to envision themselves in engineering roles. By integrating engineering principles into early childhood education, we can dismantle the barriers that prevent young girls from pursuing careers in this field. In fact, this is one of the key reasons behind the ‘Protecting Lives and Livelihoods’ animation campaign from CESA which aimed to highlight the importance of engineering to the public with the lead in the series being a young female.
As we wrap up Women’s Month, let us remember that this transformation journey is ongoing and requires our continuous commitment – not just highlighted every August but throughout the entire year. By addressing diversity at its roots, South Africa can work towards a more inclusive engineering landscape that benefits individuals, companies, and society. This requires collaboration between educational institutions, industry leaders, and community organisations to create a supportive ecosystem that nurtures the next generation of engineers.
Embracing diversity is not just a matter of social equity; it is a strategic imperative that will drive innovation and economic growth in the engineering sector and the country.
ENDS
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