Associations
MENTORSHIP AND
UPSKILLING OF WOMEN
By the Engineering Council of South Africa
August each year in South Africa observes Women ’ s Day and Women ’ s Month in celebration of the inspiring and courageous women who fought for equality and inclusion of all in the economic and social activities of the country .
ECSA-recognised voluntary associations and any private educational institution approved by council can potentially offer appropriate learning in respect of
Category 1 CPD Activities .
These women passed the baton to the new generation of women to advocate for persistent participation of women in male-dominated trades . The fields of science , technology , construction and engineering are some of the areas where female participation is relatively low , despite measures and interventions put in place to see equal representation .
An article published on Bizcommunity says that the proportion of females to males who graduate with STEMrelated ( science , technology , engineering and mathematics ) degrees is out of balance .
Women are underrepresented in maths and statistics ( 4:5 ), ICT and technology ( 2:5 ), as well as engineering , manufacturing and construction ( 3:10 ). As a result , there is a significantly smaller pool of female STEM talent , further entrenching perceptions about the engineering and built environment industry .
These statistics are also reflected in the number of female registered persons in the Engineering Council of South Africa ’ s ( ECSA ) database . According to recorded figures , at the end of the 2018 / 19 financial year , the number of registered persons stood at 57 869 of which only 7 687 were female .
Equal representation of both men and women within an industry that is predominantly male-dominated requires intentional strides by the industry to ensure that this gap is closed . Ms Tumisang Maphumulo ( Pr Eng ), Corporate Specialist , Master
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RACA Journal I January 2021 www . hvacronline . co . za