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Newark, an Avnet company and global distributor of electronic components, products and solutions, today announced the launch of the annual Global Women in Engineering Survey in partnership with the element14 community. The survey is an opportunity for professional women in engineering to share their insights and experiences, shedding light on career development as well as the wider challenges and opportunities in the electronic engineering industry.
The survey begins on International Women in Engineering Day (23 June) and will run for two months, closing on Saturday 20 August. The global survey is designed to gain first-hand insight from all industry members to understand current barriers to achieving equality and how to further reduce discriminatory practices in the workplace while painting a vision for the future. The results of the study will be announced in September 2022.
Dianne Kibbey, global head of community and social media for element14, said: “This year we added new questions addressing issues highlighted in the analysis of previous survey responses. While it is clear that our industry is moving in the right direction, there is more to do. And we look forward to uncovering even more amazing success stories of women achieving great things in our industry.”
The 2021 global survey collected responses from 370 people. Most of those surveyed were between the ages of 25-54, and just over half said they had more than 10 years of experience in the electronic engineering industry. The study showed that although women in engineering receive support from all genders, they are still underrepresented overall and subject to varying degrees of discrimination.
The 2021 survey further highlighted that all respondents believe the most important goal to achieve in the modern workforce is equal treatment of all genders. This year’s survey will be a key indicator of whether this positive trend has continued.
Other key findings from Newark’s 2021 Global Women in Engineering Survey include:
- All genders have similar views on the benefits that women bring to the engineering industry and believe that inequality needs to be addressed. Elevating more women into leadership positions where they can act as role models and mentors to other women will strengthen the implementation of equality policies and reduce inequality and sexism in the workplace.
- The research showed strong agreement on many issues, while some key differences were revealed. Although women cite good pay as an advantage of working in engineering, they still believe the gender pay gap is still a problem.
- One strong finding is that women are less worried about having to travel for work than other genders perceive them to be. Only 15% of women surveyed suggested that reduced travel would benefit their work-life balance and career prospects, compared to 25% of all other respondents who believed this to be true. This response suggests further reducing a perceived barrier to advancement in engineering careers for women.
- There was an overwhelming response from all genders, encouraging women to be more confident, trust their abilities and take on the challenge of working in engineering. Some of the top incentives for women to enjoy a career in engineering include the opportunity to work on a variety of projects, participate in the birth of next-generation technologies, and establish and maintain a good work-life balance.
Newark’s continued support of the study will provide a comprehensive look at the challenges that professional women working in the electronic engineering industry continue to face and how they can successfully turn them into life-changing opportunities for themselves and the organizations they represent.
To get involved in Newark’s new global survey of women in engineering, go to:
