Author : Mrityunjaya Kappali

Traditionally engineering was perceived to be a profession only for men. Participation and contribution of women in this field used to be very less. Thus women represented a large untapped source of talent. However, of late, there has been a steady rise in the number of women entering and performing satisfactorily in the field of engineering and technology. This trend is more visible and vibrant in India. Still there are many women who are not either opting for this career or after entering, are not continuing. There are some issues which are acting as deterrent for the women. Present paper discusses this aspect. Basic difference between women and men are brought out. The strengths of women which are relevant to engineering domain are narrated. Problems faced by women pursuing engineering as career are analyzed. Then the remedial measures are proposed. The intention is to provide level playing field to women and encourage the prospective and deserving women to opt for engineering and make a successful career there in.

Keywords: Women Engineers; Equity Issues in Engineering Education and Employment ; Gender Discrimination

Article published in the Proceedings of National Conference on ‘Women in Science & Engineering’ (NCWSE 2013), SDMCET Dharwad