The number of women in engineering jobs is still way less than ideal but the overall trend is clear — companies are hiring more women engineers as they follow their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) goals. According to a report by consulting firm Avtar, participation of women in manufacturing is 3% (core engineering). The number is 12% in other engineering streams and 27-40% in services. The report pins this down to social, economic and policy factors. “In manufacturing, these are compounded by challenges related to physical safety, infrastructure gaps, legal/regulatory challenges, shift working, conscious or unconscious biases in recruitment and promotion, lower access to digital technology and lesser participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) streams,” says the report.

More than 100 women, including scientists and engineers, played a significant role in designing, testing and executing India’s lunar mission Chandrayaan-III, says ISRO. But it will take greater effort from India Inc. if it wants to move the needle on recruiting and supporting women engineers.

What Is India Inc. Doing

Companies with substantial financial resources are working on inclusivity. Tata Steel, for example, started a programme called Women of Mettle in 2017 to attract women in engineering and R&D. It recruits women from over 50 colleges and technical institutes. Some get pre-placement offers and positions as technical interns. “The turnout at these events has increased. The last edition had almost 3,000 participants,” says Jaya Singh Panda, chief learning and development and chief diversity officer, Tata Steel. The company is also hiring more women in mining and even setting up an all-women battery plant in Jamshedpur. “Hiring managers are being trained how to avoid biases. Small efforts like these have resulted in a huge increase in number of women at the entry level,” she says.

Women in Engineering

The Rise Of Women Engineers