June 23rd marks a global celebration of women engineers — a date that not only honors the remarkable contributions of women in engineering, but also serves as a powerful call to action: we need more women in STEM. More young girls dreaming of shaping bridges, systems, energy solutions, clean technologies, and cities of the future.
Engineering is more than equations and machines — it’s about creating solutions for people and the planet. It’s about making our world more sustainable, inclusive, and innovative. And who better to help lead this transformation than women?
Across the globe, BPW women are already engineering change — whether in technology, infrastructure, sustainable energy, or innovation labs. They are not just adapting to the future. They are designing it.
But we need more.
Why Women Matter in Engineering
When more women participate in engineering and technology, the world gains diverse perspectives, creative solutions, and more socially conscious innovations. Studies show that diverse teams solve problems faster and design with broader communities in mind. That’s not just good for business — it’s essential for a sustainable future.
Women bring collaboration, empathy, resilience, and vision — qualities urgently needed to address the world’s most complex challenges.
From Exclusion to Inclusion: A Historical Perspective
Not so long ago, engineering was considered a field exclusively for men. Women were discouraged — and often even prohibited — from studying or working in the profession. Even when they succeeded, their contributions were frequently overlooked or credited to male colleagues.
It took courage and persistence for pioneers like Emily Roebling, Edith Clarke, and Elisa Leonida Zamfirescu to break through barriers and prove that women had the intellect, creativity, and determination to thrive in engineering. Thanks to their legacy, more women are now entering STEM fields than ever — yet they still make up less than 30% of the global engineering and technology workforce, according to UNESCO.
BPW and STEM: Shaping Futures Together
In alignment with the BPW International Theme 2024–2027 — “Inspire, Innovate, Empower, Transform: Together We Shape a Sustainable Future,” BPW is committed to encouraging, empowering, and elevating women in all STEM fields, including engineering.
This is a call to action for all BPW clubs and leaders around the world:
Support STEM education for girls. Mentor future engineers. Create platforms that amplify the voices, visibility, and leadership of women in technical fields.
Let’s make space at every table — and in every lab, workshop, and innovation hub.
An Invitation
Today, on International Women in Engineering Day, we honor every woman who has ever sketched a design, soldered a circuit, launched a rocket, coded a solution, led a project, or dared to build something that didn’t yet exist.
We invite all women and girls to see themselves as builders of the future — because that’s exactly what they are.
Let us inspire. Let us innovate. Let us transform.
Together, we engineer change!
