Women scientists and engineers want to participate

摘要

One of striking elements at IEI Conference 2004 was the virtual absence of women, not among the speakers, but in the audience. This year's conference attracted a record 356 attendees, of which just 38 were female. That is barely 10 per cent. Where are all the women in engineering? Well, for starters, far less girls than boys are opting to study engineering at third level. According to the Third European Report on S&T Indicators, 2003, Ireland has a 17 per cent female participation rate in undergraduate engineering. This is below the European (EU-15) average and compares with a 50 per cent female participation rate in science education in Ireland.