I Don’t Just Play An Engineer In This Stock Photo, I Am One In Real Life
Engineering and technology play an incredible role in shaping the world around us and in addressing some of society’s biggest challenges, from providing a sustainable supply of food, water and clean energy, to advancing healthcare, and keeping us safe and secure, says Dr. Hayaatun Sillem, CEO, Royal Academy of Engineering.
Enter the word ‘engineer’ into an online search engine and the resulting images offer a very narrow view, one that supports stereotypical ideas that engineering only happens in hard hats, on construction sites, adds Sillem.
On International Women’s Day, the Royal Academy of Engineering is celebrating the work of phenomenal women who shape the world by sharing their photo collection with the Pexels community.
There is a pressing need to diversify our engineering workforce since only 12% of professional engineers are female and 9% are from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.
One of the major barriers to young people aspiring to be engineers is deeply rooted cultural perceptions of engineering as narrow, mechanical, too technical and dull; a perception that is being reinforced online.
To counter this perception of what engineering looks like, and to combat outdated images, the Royal Academy of Engineering is showcasing real engineers in exciting roles in their workplaces, and sharing these with Pexels users and the world.
These are just a few of the incredible women making a difference in the world. Today, and every day, we want to celebrate women who design, invent and engineer the future.
Visit This Is Engineering on Pexels to download the full, free collection celebrating women in engineering.
Interested in partnering up with Pexels? Get in touch at partnerships@pexels.com.
