When you hear the word engineer, do you picture a man or a woman? Chances are, a man comes to mind first. That is what the number of women in engineering suggests.
From a young age, we absorb the idea that certain jobs belong to certain genders. Engineering, with its heavy focus on math, physics, and hands-on problem-solving, has long been seen as a “man’s job.“ Pop culture, history, and even school textbooks have contributed to this stereotype. Textbooks show men as inventors, builders, and tech geniuses. At the same time, the same books often portray women in more nurturing or creative roles.
Compared to the early 2000s, more women have definitely entered the engineering sector. However, men still make up the overwhelming majority, and women are still vastly outnumbered.
Women in engineering: What does the data say?
In 2023, men held 86.3% of engineering jobs worldwide, while women made up just 13.7%. It marks a decline from 14.88% in 2020. Mechanical and electrical engineering remain heavily male-dominated, with women in less than 10% of roles. The same is seen in nuclear engineering, where just 12.7% of the 5,397 nuclear engineers in the U.S. are women, while 87.3% are men.
More women in India are pursuing higher education, but fewer are choosing engineering and technology. From 2013-14 to 2021-22, women’s enrollment in undergraduate programs increased by 46%, and postgraduate enrollment grew by 55.5%. However, undergraduate enrollment in engineering dropped by 1.35%, while postgraduate enrollment saw a 43% decline.
Manufacturing and heavy industries play a huge role in India’s economy, contributing about 20% of the GDP. However, women make up only 3% of the workforce in core engineering roles and between 3% and 12% in other technology-related fields.
Being “The only woman in the room.”
A sad reality for women in male-dominated fields is stepping into a meeting or lecture hall and noticing they’re one of the few, if not the only, women present. In engineering, 32% of women frequently experience being the only woman in a meeting, classroom, or workplace. This situation, known as being “onlies“, affects confidence, career growth, and overall workplace experience.
Being an “only” also increases the chances of bias and exclusion, whether intentional or not. Women in these situations may find their ideas dismissed, their presence overlooked, or their authority questioned more often than their male peers. They may also feel isolated, missing out on informal networking and mentorship opportunities.
Women in engineering start as the minority (And stay that way)
The “only” cycle for women in engineering starts long before they enter the workplace. It begins in the classroom. Government data from the 2019-2020 academic year shows that women’s enrollment in core engineering majors in India remains significantly low.
Mechanical engineering, for example, has only 5.9% female students, while fields like civil, metallurgical, chemical, and electrical engineering hover between 22% and 27%. From the start, women in these programs stand out as the minority, often seen as the “odd one out” among their male classmates.
Fewer women graduate in these fields, and the situation doesn’t improve in the workplace. The same gender imbalance that exists in classrooms extends to engineering firms, factories, and boardrooms.
With fewer women mentors and colleagues, the lack of representation discourages future generations from joining, keeping the numbers low. Perhaps this explains why, despite India having the highest number of women STEM graduates in the world at 40%, only 14% actually make it into the workforce. And then there’s the ever-present burden of managing both home and work.
Unless systemic changes address this gap from education to employment, engineering will remain a space where women are outnumbered, overlooked, and forced into a career path where they are always the exception, not the norm.
Women in engineering: The final thoughts
Hiring more women isn’t enough if workplaces don’t support their careers, listen to their voices, or challenge biases that make them feel like outsiders. It also starts with education. Schools and universities must create environments where young girls see engineering as a space for them, not just for men. Representation matters as women professors, mentors, and leaders in STEM can make a difference in shaping aspirations.
More women belong in engineering, not because it is some DEI requirement but because their ideas, innovations, and leadership are just as valuable.
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Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are based on the writer’s insights, supported by data and resources available both online and offline, as applicable. Changeincontent.com is committed to promoting inclusivity across all forms of content. We broadly define inclusivity as media, policies, law, and history—encompassing all elements that influence the lives of women and marginalised individuals. Our goal is to promote understanding and advocate for comprehensive inclusivity.
