The Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), says there is need to address the gender and vulnerability biases that still persist in the profession.
The association’s National President, Dr Adebisi Osim made the remarks at the 2024 World Women Engineering Day celebration on Tuesday in Osogbo.
The celebration has as its theme “STEM for All, Promoting Inclusivity and Diversity in Engineering for Sustainable World”.
Osim said that in Nigeria, the engineering sector faces challenges related to inclusivity and diversity, particularly gender representation.
According to her, women make up less than 10 percent of all engineers in Sub-Saharan Africa due to factors such as patriarchal culture, stereotypes, and limited opportunities for networking and skill-building.
She, however, said that the celebration was aimed at breaking barriers, encourage diversity, and foster an environment that embraces the talents and perspectives of each and every engineer, regardless of their gender.
“But to truly address the challenges that lie ahead, we cannot afford to exclude anyone.
“We must ensure that everyone, regardless of their gender, has equal opportunities to contribute to the betterment of our planet.
“We must address the gender and vulnerability biases that still persist within our profession,” she said.
Osim noted that the engineering sector globally, including Nigeria, was striving for greater equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
“Only 12 percent of engineers in the UK are women, highlighting the need for change.
“Promoting inclusivity and diversity in engineering in Nigeria is crucial for driving innovation, addressing disparities, improving outcomes, and creating a more equitable environment that benefits all individuals involved.
“As we celebrate the World Engineering Day, let us commit ourselves to embrace inclusivity and diversity.
“Let us stand united in our conviction that engineering knows no gender, no race, and no boundaries.
“Together, we can build a sustainable world that truly leaves no one behind and every voice is heard, every talent is valued, and every opportunity is accessible to all,” she said.
Osim said the engineering day celebration was centred on celebrating and promoting the inclusion of girls and boys in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.
She said that the association runs mentorship programmes to inspire girls and support women in the engineering profession.
In her remarks, the state Chairman of the association, Mrs Ayotunde Akanni said the association wanted more inclusion of girls in the engineering field.
Akanni, who noted that female engineers were few in the engineering field, said that the celebration was targeted at encouraging the girl-child, most especially in secondary schools, to study engineering in the tertiary institutions.
She said part of the APWEN’s efforts was to go to both primary and secondary schools to speak with and encourage young girls to become engineers.
She said the association also provides scholarships to young female students to encourage and increase the number of female engineers in the country.
NAN
