Reflecting on how far we’ve come on International Women in Engineering Day 2021

Today we’re celebrating the women in our workforce on International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) 2021.

INWED 2021 social media tile

While Douglas Partners is committed to cultivating an equal and diverse workplace every day, it is an apt opportunity to reflect on the evolution of women in engineering and the increase in propensity of women in STEM globally.

2021 marks the eighth year running for INWED, an awareness campaign which raises the profile of women in engineering and focuses attention on the amazing career opportunities available to women and girls in this exciting industry.

Douglas Partners recognises the importance of this day and is proud to continue diversifying its workforce to build a sustainable and multifaceted team.

five minutes with Lisa Mcleish

Lisa is an Associate Geotechnical Engineer in Brisbane with over a decade of engineering experience. In this time, she has drawn some valuable insights and importantly highlights the benefit that the current efforts, to recognise equal opportunity and encourage more women into this workforce, will have on the next generation.

What inspired you to pursue engineering?

I felt passionate about math, science and how things work, engineering seemed to fit in with what I liked and gave good career options.

What are you most proud of as an Engineer?

I am proud that I am doing something of value to society and where possible using my expertise to help in a charitable way. I am proud that both my son and daughter will grow up to see first-hand that we can all have equal opportunities, gender isn’t a barrier to this and hopefully it will be so natural to them that they won’t even realise it has been a difficult path for women in the industry.

What advice would you offer young women considering engineering as a career?

Take the leap, don’t feel intimidated by the male dominance. As a profession I personally see, and hear from colleagues, how valuable it is to have a diverse team with differing strengths.

Lisa Mcleish INWED 2021