More Women Needed in Civil Engineering

We need more women in civil engineering. Only 10 percent of working civil engineers are women. They add diversity and a fresh viewpoint to the job. They're also more aware of the social impacts of their design, which is something all good engineers need.

While groups like the Society of Women Engineers have raised awareness of the challenges faced by women engineers in colleges and universities, these groups are not a community. Adding a token woman engineer to a company's employee roster is not the same as adding a community of female engineers to an organization.

Schools and apprenticeship programs should look beyond mathematical skills and consider communication, social welfare, and teamwork skills. In the civil engineering workplace, attitudes must change that prevent women from being accepted.

Some common misconceptions include:

Civil engineering firms must do whatever they can to remove these preconceptions from their workplace and hiring practices. Firms might consider creating a part-time employee position that would allow working mothers to balance work and family life. In addition, many firms should aggressively enforce a no-tolerance policy for female discrimination and harassment. Equal pay should also be addressed. Many women with advanced degrees, awards, and top-notch management skills are still at the bottom of the pay scale.

For an additional perspective, check out this video:

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