Together We Engineer: Championing Women in Engineering Day

International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) is celebrated today on June 23 2025. 

Dedicated to recognising the achievements of women in engineering and inspiring more women to pursue engineering careers, this year’s theme is #TogetherWeEngineer. Starting in 2014, it has been run by Women’s Engineering Society (WES) and is celebrating its 12th year in 2025.

INWED is designed to give women engineers around the world a profile when they are still significantly underrepresented – only making up 16.5% of engineers in the UK. More globally in sectors like data centres for example, women make up less than 10% of the total workforce.

The day itself has a critical role in encouraging more young women and girls to take up engineering careers. Not only that, but also having challenging conversations about why women aren’t staying in the industry and tackling that head on.

“Conversations about women in engineering tend to focus on recruitment. But the bigger issue isn’t getting women into the sector - it’s keeping them,” explains Aurore Knight, Associate Director at Black & White Engineering.

“That usually comes down to whether the job allows people to stay in the profession during periods of change, particularly around family. This isn’t a theoretical concern, it’s something many women face, and it has a real impact on retention, particularly mid-career.”

Confronting industry challenges

Women remain underrepresented across STEM fields, particularly when it comes to more senior roles.

Tanya Channing, Chief People and Culture Officer at Pipedrive, explains that this isn’t an issue of talent – but rather one of access, visibility and a need for inclusive cultures that support women throughout every stage of their career. 

“Inclusion is a growth driver and a prerequisite for great innovation,” she says. “If we encourage girls and women who love solving puzzles, creating, or improving things to join an engineering field we can engineer a better future together using diverse voices and more equitable outcomes. 

This is why days like Women in Engineering remain so significant. It offers the industry an opportunity to reflect and celebrate, but also to take action and support women across the industry as best it can.

“In engineering, the talent pipeline issue is real, but so is the opportunity,” shares Jenny Hadlow, COO at Checkout.com. “We need to ensure young women not only enter the field but stay, grow and lead in it. That means giving them meaningful roles early in their careers, pairing them with mentors who challenge and support them, and creating environments where they feel like they belong.  

“Progress won’t come from one big initiative. It’s about making small, intentional choices every single day, like ensuring interview panels are balanced, understanding the difference between merit and potential, and inviting internal voices to contribute to discussions that impact them.”  

“Ultimately, we don’t just need to hire women into engineering roles, we need to retain and elevate them. If we want future CTOs, Heads of Engineering and technical founders that reflect the world we live in, it starts now with how we hire, how we lead, and how we back the next generation of women in engineering.” 

Investing in talent

Within the data centre industry in particular, the presence of women - particularly in leadership roles - remains low. As the industry continues to be dominated by men, a lack of diversity in engineering fields could lead to long-lasting implications that include limiting innovation and missing out on digital opportunities.

Days like INWED are looking at how to encourage a new generation of young talent to enter the industry. On this, Aurore says: “When I talk to younger people considering engineering, especially women, I try not to oversimplify it. If you’re someone who likes solving problems and figuring out how things operate, it’s a good fit. 

“The skills you develop, particularly around analysis and structured problem solving, are useful across a lot of sectors, even if you don’t stay in a traditional engineering role forever. It’s a solid foundation that opens doors in all kinds of industries.”

As digital transformation continues to heat up and create new complex challenges, Aurore suggests the industry is a lot more unique than ever before.

“In building services, particularly data centres, the landscape is constantly shifting. The technical side is challenging, but the pace is what sets it apart,” she says. “There’s also a heightened focus on sustainability and energy efficiency, which is changing the way we approach everything from cooling systems to materials.

“What I’d like to see over the next five to ten years is a shift in how the profession defines success. Full-time, uninterrupted careers aren’t the only valid model. Hybrid and flexible working should be part of the standard offer, not just for women, but for anyone with responsibilities or commitments outside the office. 

“It’s also what younger engineers are increasingly looking for - people coming into the industry now often expect flexibility as a baseline, not a bonus.”

With AI seeking to reshape the future of the industry, women already in the workforce are eager for enterprises to be more realistic about how people work moving forward.

“If you want to retain skilled engineers, you have to recognise that life doesn’t always fit neatly around a 9-to-5,” Aurore continues. “When you make that adjustment, you actually gain productivity.”

Tanya explains: “The rapid evolution of AI transforms how we build, test, and optimise, creating new opportunities for us to shape the future.

“It’s levelling barriers by valuing skills like data literacy, ethical reasoning and interdisciplinary collaboration. These are areas where diverse perspectives are essential. 

“For women entering or advancing in engineering, this means a broader range of entry points and faster career mobility, especially in AI-focused roles like machine learning ops, prompt engineering, or responsible AI governance.”

Explore the latest edition of Data Centre Magazine  and be part of the conversation at our global conference series, Tech & AI LIVE and Data Centre LIVE. 

Discover all our upcoming events and secure your tickets today.

Data Centre Magazine is a BizClik brand