INWED20 challenges female engineers to Shape the World

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An annual campaign to raise awareness of the opportunities and achievements of women engineers has launched with the theme of ‘Shape the World’.

INWED20
BP stresses Improving the visibility of female role models to attract female engineers (Image: BP)

Now in its seventh year, International Women in Engineering Day 2020 (INWED20) is designed to raise the profile of women in engineering across the globe and focus on career opportunities available to girls in the profession.

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Coordinated by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES), INWED’s global reach has seen countries including Panama, Canada, Rwanda, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Pakistan participate in the campaign. In 2016 INWED was awarded UNESCO patronage for the first time.

Elizabeth Donnelly, CEO of the Women’s Engineering Society said, "INWED20 is an amazing campaign that recognises the careers available to women in engineering. The 2020 theme ties in with the challenges facing us in an uncertain future and invites engineers to share how they are tackling such topics as the climate emergency.”

According to WES, INWED is celebrated by a diverse range of people including schools, organisations, STEM campaigners, universities and politicians. Events are collated and published on the INWED website and for 2020 INWED has secured sponsors including Boeing, Dialog Semiconductor, ECITB, GCHQ, Institute of Refrigeration, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, OPITO, Royal Air Force and Wiley.

A regular event in the INWED UK celebrations is the Top 50 Women in Engineering (WE50) Awards. Also coordinated by the Women’s Engineering Society, the Awards recognise the Top 50 Women in a specific category, with the 2020 Awards celebrating the Top 50 Women in Sustainability. Nominations open for the WE50 on 8 March 2020.

Sally Sudworth, chair of judges for the Top 50 Women in Engineering 2020, said: “Engineers have a key role to play in providing sustainable solutions in addressing the climate emergency and net-zero carbon challenge. That’s why we are celebrating the top WE50 women engineers working in this field in 2020.”