Celebrating the UNSW Women in Engineering Professoriate
Published on the 01 July 2024
On Wednesday 5 June, a high tea provided the setting to celebrate the UNSW Women in Engineering Professoriate.
Chaired by Deputy Dean (Societal Impact and Translation) Professor Rita Henderson, the afternoon event included a lively discussion on achieving gender balance in the Faculty of Engineering.
The group discussed potential new and existing initiatives to improve gender equity in the faculty as part of a new plan that has been designed to align with the UNSW Gender Equity Strategy 2024-28—UNSW's first Gender Equity Strategy, which promotes inclusive practice for people of all genders.
Prof Rita Henderson said that the Engineering faculty has a strong vision for gender equity which starts with those at the earliest stages of their careers and empowers women to succeed to the highest level.
“There are several initiatives underway to help us progress towards the goal of a gender-balanced staff, from the Women in Engineering Program which has been running for 10 years through to family-friendly policies, to funds for those returning from carer’s leave,” said Rita.
She also acknowledged the challenge ahead, saying, “While it is excellent to see a growing number of women in these women professoriate meetings, a result of a doubling in the proportion of women in senior positions in recent years, there is much work still to be done.”
Held since 2022, Engineering’s annual women in professoriate event celebrates the growing numbers of women reaching the professoriate and provides an opportunity for women at the Associate Professor and Professor level within the Faculty of Engineering to network, reflect upon progress and discuss current challenges and how we can work together to address these challenges.
The event was supported by the Dean of Engineering, Professor Julien Epps, who attended the event to join in the celebration and develop a better understanding of the issues faced by women in engineering. He was joined by other Faculty Executives including Heads of School.