Shubham & Amanat: We’d encourage young girls to pursue degrees in engineering or design as it’ll get them closer to creating, quite literally, the world that you want to live in. We’d encourage young girls to follow their passions and learn about all the options instead of following stereotypical paths. We didn’t know what Industrial Design was growing up, and following this lesser-known path has allowed us to make our dreams come true.
Agnes: For the world to continue developing new technologies for every industry, we need to continue to educate and encourage the best scientists, engineers and designers. Research shows that females have high levels of empathy. We want future products to be usable, scalable, and attractive for all. It’s essential that we continue to encourage young girls to recognise the rewarding applications of design, both as a craft and strategy to real world situations.
Katherine: When we encourage women into engineering and design, we’ll get new ideas and perspectives that were never thought possible or considered in the past. If you see a young woman in STEM looking to do something different, support them in whatever way you can. It will help encourage more women into this field, and ultimately leadership roles.
Maria: Engineering and design, for me, doesn’t have a gender. Women are known to be observant, meticulous, and creative. I believe that every woman has the power to create better concepts and pioneering technology. It’s only a matter of us believing in ourselves and supporting each other!
Aoife: Over 50 per cent of the global population are women. Yet a much smaller percentage of the engineers or designers in the world are women. A lot of the inventions designed across the world are not actually suitable for half the population. With more women and young girls being involved in early stages of design and engineering, the world will become a much more inclusive, cooperative and functional space.