Attraction, education and retention of technical women in South Africa

H. Nel, J. Meyer

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Women engineers form a small but integral part of the South African and global engineering fraternity. The resultant gender disparity in all technical professions presents a significant challenge to women in the sector, as well as to governments, corporates and higher education institutions. If the future of engineering aims to be more gender equitable, the attraction, education and retention of technical women must be understood and addressed effectively. Research was conducted over a two-year period with nine technical women in South Africa to gain a deeper understanding of these factors. The respondents agree that a future exists for women engineers, but that current policies, education structures and financial systems must be restructured to make engineering a more attractive career for women. The paper presents the research findings and strategies for the future education and retention of technical women in the engineering and built environment sectors.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2016 International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, IEEM 2016
PublisherIEEE Computer Society
Pages174-178
Number of pages5
ISBN (Electronic)9781509036653
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 27 Dec 2016
Event2016 International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, IEEM 2016 - Bali, Indonesia
Duration: 4 Dec 20167 Dec 2016

Publication series

NameIEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management
Volume2016-December
ISSN (Print)2157-3611
ISSN (Electronic)2157-362X

Conference

Conference2016 International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, IEEM 2016
Country/TerritoryIndonesia
CityBali
Period4/12/167/12/16

Keywords

  • education
  • retention
  • South Africa
  • women in engineering

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Business, Management and Accounting (miscellaneous)
  • Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
  • Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality

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