Women in Engineering: The Realities of 1987

The percentage of women graduates in engineering has climbed from 0.17 percent in 1952 to 14.0 percent in 1986. Women now constitute 3.3 percent of all practicing engineers. Women engineers are well accepted by engineering educators, supervisors, and their colleagues. Some problems still exist for women who choose engineering as a career. Women in general still have less corporate savvy than men. They lack role models in nontraditional careers. Travel presents some problems, as does the balancing of career with family responsibilities. The salaries of women engineers have not kept pace with those of men. However, the overall picture is bright, with much progress for women in engineering over the past decade and evidence of great opportunity ahead.