Examining the Effectiveness of Gender Equity Initiatives to Support Women in Engineering
Publication: Journal of Management in Engineering
Volume 39, Issue 2
Abstract
Globally, women are a minority in the engineering profession. Various initiatives are adopted by employers to support women’s career progression and retention in the profession. This paper examines the effectiveness of the common initiatives. Focus groups were conducted with 25 New Zealand based female engineers to explore their experiences and perceptions of women in engineering initiatives. Women discussed the effectiveness, and unintended consequences, of the initiatives. Their responses were coded using the NVivo software to identify key themes, which were then categorized using the universal/selective/indicated model. The findings show that universal initiatives which encompass men and women are well supported with few unintended consequences. These initiatives (e.g., subconscious bias training) focus less on changing or supporting women and more on changing the environment. In contrast, selective initiatives (e.g., female leadership programs) which focus on women, had mixed support and more unintended consequences. Specifically, they emphasize societal stereotypes that men are a better fit for the role of engineer and that women need help to adapt to the male-dominated environment. This study concludes with recommendations for employers to implement that will increase the participation and advancement of women in engineering.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code generated or used during the study are proprietary or confidential in nature and may only be provided with restrictions.
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to acknowledge the open participation of the 25 female engineers in the focus groups. Sharing their experiences with such honesty provided the foundation to the study.
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Journal of Management in Engineering
Volume 39 • Issue 2 • March 2023
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© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Apr 12, 2022
Accepted: Sep 26, 2022
Published online: Dec 13, 2022
Published in print: Mar 1, 2023
Discussion open until: May 13, 2023
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