WOMEN

Email: women@umes.mb.ca

The Women of Manitoba Engineering Network (WOMEN) was established on the heels of an annual conference hosted by the Canadian Federation of Engineering Students, the Conference on Diversity in Engineering (CDE), which aims to promote discussion on diversity in the field of engineering.

It is from attendance at the 2016 CDE that delegates for the University of Manitoba (UofM) were inspired to found WOMEN. The conference provides a unique opportunity to learn and network with engineering students from across Canada and learn about many different programs and services available to engineering students across the country. Importantly, the discussions that ensued with students from other Canadian Universities motivated UofM delegates to become actively involved in the improvement of programs and services offered to minority groups in the Faculty of Engineering at the UofM.

As a student group, WOMEN aims to promote opportunities and to create a sense of community for female identifying engineering students at the UofM. Since its formulation in January 2017, WOMEN has recruited 30 members and has participated in two outreach events. The following includes, but does not limit, the goals of WOMEN: increase program accessibility by advertising opportunities for female identifying engineering students, provide a mentorship program for female identifying first year students, host panel discussions for students of all genders to discuss issues surrounding gender in engineering, and host events featuring female members in industry.