WOMENG Recommended steps for action

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WOMENG Recommended steps for action
WOMENG

• Dr André BERAUD
• INSA Lyon France

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The WOMENG consortium

• 1 CDEFI France
• 2 Ecole Nationale des Arts et Métier, Paris
• 3 INSA LYON, France
• 4 Bergische Universitaet Wuppertal BUW, Germany
• 5 Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies of
  Austrian Unisersities IFF/IFZ, Austria
• 6 Technica Univerzita Kosociach TUKE, Slovakia
• 7 The Greek Womens Engineering Association EDEM
• 8 University of Stirling, Scotland UK
• 9 Witec Finland Ry, Tampere

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Fields of investigation

• 1- The image of engineering
• 2- Engineering studies
• 3- Professional sphere

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Recommended steps for action

• Where do they come from ?
• - field work peoples sayings
• - understanding of the reasons why women do not
  go into/ stay in engineering
• - examples
• - ideas
• They can be found in the synthesis report see
  web site WWW.WOMENG.net

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Recommended steps for action 1- The image of
engineering

• Still a masculine, unfeminine image
• Develop specific programs to build a softer
  image
• - web pages, documents showing women and men
• - Social importance and meaning of Technology
• - females and males as role models, meeting
  people (school children) to promote engineering
• - building links with communities, schools,
  universities
• - help script writers (radio, TV) to meet
  engineers

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Recommended steps for action 1- The image of
engineering

• Better information about engineering careers
• - show the caring and socially responsive
  aspects of engineering
• - companies should organise open days and links
  with primary and secondary schools
• - engineers should support S and T in school
• - Develop links between companies and U
• - Women engineers should act as mentors and
  role models for young women at schools and U

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Recommended steps for action 2 Engineering
studies

• A Supporting the school-university transition
• - Propose induction courses to introduce
  students to the higher education system library,
  administration, student support system . . .
• - catch up courses for S and T
• - provide advice and support and learning
  techniques
• - introduce non technical subjects as early as
  possible during engineering studies
• - ensure that all lecturers and staff have been
  trained in gender sensitisation

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Recommended steps for action 2 Engineering
studies

• A Supporting the school-university transition
• - Accessible and confidential student
  counselling to help with personal problems
• - Gather and analyse statistics on drop out
  annually
• - Make exit interviews or questionnaires part of
  institutional practice

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Recommended steps for action 2 Engineering
studies

• B - Department or faculty-led activity
• - Put on social events to welcome students
• - introduce group and team work as soon as
  possible, encourage and support study groups
• - provide contact staff who can listen and help
• - ensure that there is more than one female in a
  group or team
• - consider single sex teaching for some courses
• - use senior students to teach junior students
• - provide social space for students and staff
• - encourage student engineering societies to
  support new students, organise social activities,
  conferences etc

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Recommended steps for action 2 Engineering
studies

• C- The last years
• - Provide career advice contacts with companies
• - Meetings with women engineers mentoring, role
  models
• - change the masculine culture of the department
  by training staff in gender sensitisation and
  gender mainstreaming and other diversity issues
• - introduction of gender sensitisation of
  students, male and female
• - be careful to use gender sensitive language
• - no tolerance for sexism and harassment
• - ensure that men and women are judged equally

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Recommended steps for actions Conclusion

• Not a programme but a suggestion box
• Need of specific programmes for each country,
  taking into account each situation
• Not a problem only for women but for everyone
• All social actors should be involved
• Action can be taken and can be effective