49.7% of the entire globe’s population are female, whilst in Nigeria it is 49.44%, and yet can you believe that it is roughly only 28-35% of women that occupy the STEM fields? So every hundred people in STEM, there’s 65 to 72 men whilst the rest are women.
STEM is science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. And like many other occupations, it has a gender gap problem, despite women making up almost half of the population. This isn’t just a statistic, it’s an imbalance that creates a barrier in women empowerment and overall development.
And out of all of them, engineering is among the lowest due to several key factors like:
- Gender stereotypes
- Limited mentorship and networking opportunities
- Bias in education system
Thankfully, we are in an age where this significant under-representation of women in engineering is acknowledged and addressed, but I would like to dive more into why this problem is persistent and the steps necessary for breaking it and WHY it is important to break it.
In Nigeria, women occupy less than 10% of all positions in the National Assembly, and in all 36 states there are zero female governors and never have been. This is a serious issue because it shows just how less involved women are in policy and decision making. It is a direct reflection on the gender gap issues in fields like engineering. Both in education and in the workforce. Inclusion of women in engineering is not only a matter of equality and social justice but also essential for fostering innovation. Diverse engineering teams offer numerous advantages, including:
- Enhanced creativity and problem-solving: Diverse perspectives lead to more innovative solutions.
- Improved decision making: A range of viewpoints ensures better, well-informed choices.
- Enhanced competitiveness: Diverse teams are more adaptable and better prepared for global challenges.
Engineering is a discipline that is at the forefront of developments and all the world’s major breakthroughs. So by nature, it is a discipline that is constantly progressing and changing which demands many professional skill sets. Such demands require a broader talent pool, which can be achieved by attracting more females to the field. It will allow us to tap into more of the field’s natural potential of creativity. Yet, making this a reality is proving to be difficult.
I mentioned earlier that gender stereotypes, education bias, and limited mentorship and networking opportunities are a few of the problems as to why we have a major gap in genders in engineering. Among them are others that you can guess like:
Sociocultural boundaries: Traditions push the belief that engineering is a masculine field and that women who are in this field are less feminine. This discourages interest in girls’ minds.
Cultural expectations: Many communities expect women to prioritize family over career, this is seen particularly in Northern Nigeria.
Inflexible work environments: Some jobs are not friendly to women who are pregnant or nursing young kids.
And workplace discrimination: Many women often face gender bias and are not taken seriously in such a male-dominated environment. Unequal pay and sexual harassment are not unusual things to occur.
But I would specifically like to get into work-life balance and gender norms, which in my opinion and based on the research I’ve done, seems to be the biggest factor holding us back. I don’t need to bring you the numbers before you believe me when I tell you that on average, women marry much earlier than men. Men’s age in Africa are reported to be on average 6.6 years higher. Marrying early is not alone the issue but marrying at a young age and the types of societal norms enforced because of it is. Even when a young girl enters engineering in university, it is not only expected but it is pressured onto her by peers and family alike to focus on marriage and building a family shortly after graduation. This sadly includes postgraduate students who have already started being integrated into the workforce. The moment a woman gives birth to her first child, it’s as if her life is expected to pause, and from that point on, everything revolves around the child. As women, we are expected to love unconditionally and be the perfect parental figure. We must raise our child with our whole being, and if anything goes wrong, the blame falls on us. Meanwhile, men are free to pursue their passions and careers, returning home to what is essentially a personal maid, one who isn’t allowed to complain about exhaustion because “she gets to spend time with her kids” or “all her needs are provided for.” But why don’t you spend time with your kids? If you believe a woman isn’t capable of being out in the workforce, why not give her the chance and see what happens? How about dividing responsibilities equally? How about not pressuring her in the first place to bear more children than she can handle? How about smart, intentional family planning, the kind that allows both partners to advance in their careers and grow as individuals, instead of leaving one to sacrifice their life, time, and energy, trapped behind pots and broomsticks, that one always being the woman.
Special attention must be taken to see that women from young ages are encouraged and supported to participate and excel in subjects like science and physics and not just catering. These outdated societal norms are only limiting the growth of women and the growth of engineering. The lack of role models to look up to also plays a huge effect. It is under the impression of many that perhaps girls are just not capable or intelligent for a discipline like engineering, but that is far from the truth. If there were more women in senior roles in engineering and more families encouraging their girls to pursue education seriously and careers instead of seeing them as just a “pretty face,” we’d see an increase in diversity and development nationwide and globally. With both genders, with more minorities included in engineering and important sects of the workforce, we will see an improvement in how more adaptable and better prepared engineers are for global challenges.
Women like:
- Katherine Johnson
- Dorothy Vaughan
- Mary Jackson
Who back in the 1960’s, were so impactful to the space race for NASA that they were featured in the well known book and movie “hidden figures”. Though doubted by colleagues and community alike, they were the mathematical backbone for space breakthroughs.
Specifically Mary Jackson who struggled through a segregated workplace but eventually became NASA’s first black female engineer.
Additionally Dr. Omowunmi Sadik back in the 1990s: A Nigerian chemist and inventor who became known for her work in environmental sustainability and biosensors. She holds multiple patents and was elected into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.
Or Dr. Ozak Esu around 2015: An electrical engineer who moved to the UK from Nigeria, Dr. Esu has been recognised for promoting diversity in engineering and for her work in sustainable building services. She’s actively challenging stereotypes and pushing for visibility of Black women in tech
And Engr. Funke Opeke: She became the founder and chief executive officer of MainOne around in 2010. It is a leading communications services company that laid the first private submarine cable on the West African coast. Her work is revolutionising internet access across West Africa. She left a high-paying job in the U.S. to come back and transform infrastructure in Nigeria.
Dr. Margaret Hamilton: Another American computer scientist and systems engineer who led the software development for NASA’s Apollo missions back in the 1960s. She coined the term “software engineering” and developed error detection that saved the Apollo 11 moon landing. Her brilliance is the reason the lunar module didn’t crash.
The list goes on.
Moreover, there are initiatives like the annual Developing Engineering Leader Through Her or DELT-Her program that are actively working on changing the narrative for women representation and recognition in engineering inspiring future generations to come.
These women and programs show us that promoting diversity and inclusion is not just a strategic advancement; It is also a matter of social and ethical responsibility. It aligns with principals of fairness, equity, and equal opportunity for all individuals unleashing geniuses from all over. They show us that women have been and are and will be making significant advances through engineering towards the modern age.
Thank you to my mother, my aunts, my sisters at home, and all my sisters in engineering. And to the men, We are coming and you SHOULD be intimidated. Also we know you are jealous of our pink
electric motors and laptops.
