“When someone tells me what I’m working on is a ‘man’s thing’ and I shouldn’t be doing it, I know that’s precisely what I should do,” explains Dr. Sumi Siddiqua, a professor at UBC Okanagan.
Civil engineering is one of those things.
Despite having her choice of any undergraduate engineering field she wanted to enter, Dr. Siddiqua chose civil—a traditionally male-dominated industry focused on construction. At the time, she was one of only five females in a civil engineering class of 60.
Twenty years later, she says the situation hasn’t changed enough.
“When I teach my third-year civil engineering course, I don’t have many women in the room,” Dr. Siddiqua says. “In a class of 100 students, I might see 10 to 12 women.”
“When someone tells me what I’m working on is a ‘man’s thing’ and I shouldn’t be doing it, I know that’s precisely what I should do,” explains civil engineering professor Dr. Sumi Siddiqua.
The issue extends beyond the classroom. According to Engineers Canada, women made up just 15 per cent of licensed engineers in 2022, while global data from 2023 reveals men still comprise 86.3 per cent of the engineering workforce worldwide.
To address this gap, Engineers Canada has set an ambitious goal to have 30 per cent of licensed engineers be women by 2030. Globally, organizations like UNESCO are advocating for systemic reforms in education and industry, pushing for policies that eliminate barriers and encourage female participation in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
For Dr. Siddiqua, the lack of women in engineering is not just a question of fairness—it also represents a lost opportunity for problem-solving and innovation.
“Women comprise 50 per cent of the population. How can we, as engineers, build solutions for society when we’re missing out on the knowledge, expertise and experiences of half the population?”
More than half of Dr. Siddiqua’s lab students are female—a point of pride for her.
In her Advanced Geomaterials Research Lab, Dr. Siddiqua proves what’s possible when women are given equitable opportunities. More than half of her research group members are female—a point of pride for the professor, who believes representation is critical to breaking stereotypes and reshaping the narrative around engineering.
“’It’s a man’s job’ or other stereotypes can deter women from pursuing engineering careers. But the reality is that diverse voices are essential to solving today’s complex challenges,” says Dr. Siddiqua.
“We need to empower girls when they’re young, curious and open to seeing themselves in STEM. We must show them other successful women in this field and everything they accomplish.”
At UBC Okanagan, empowering young women begins with initiatives designed to inspire curiosity and confidence in STEM.
“We need more women who believe in themselves, push boundaries and redefine what’s possible to choose engineering as a career.”
iStand (Integrative STEM Team Advancing Networks of Diversity) organizes youth camps, classroom visits and informative sessions at UBC Okanagan’s campus for young girls and underrepresented people.
Programs like Let’s Talk Science Outreach and UBC Geering Up Engineering Outreach both offer hands-on STEM opportunities for children and youth.
Geering Up holds a girls’ only week during summer camp, and the program also partners with School District 23 to host Go Eng Girl—an outreach program that creates safe and inclusive spaces for female-identifying students to explore engineering.
The Westcoast Women in Engineering, Science and Technology (WWEST) program provides young women with STEM opportunities that are welcoming, supportive and fun.
A Geering Up summer camp for girls uses fun and hands-on experiments to promote science, engineering and technology.
Current UBC Okanagan female students can also connect with industry mentors in the university’s School of Engineering and Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences through the WiSE (Women in Science and Engineering) Mentoring Program.
“Women need role models in the industry; they need to see themselves represented so they can envision their success and understand what’s possible,” Dr. Siddiqua says.
“We need more women who believe in themselves, push boundaries and redefine what’s possible to choose engineering as a career.”
