Women in Engineering: Actions for Improving their Integration in the Faculty of Engineering in Bilbao

Abstract

The situation of women in the engineering world has different aspects that should be carefully analysed. Last century, the woman who first broke this taboo in Spain was the mayor of Bilbao, the first female industrial engineer graduated in Spain in 1929, Pilar Careaga. By means of her public presence, her message could reach general society, but only as something exceptional. At the Faculty of Engineering in Bilbao, the first female Industrial Engineer was Pilar Ipiña, who graduated in 1965. Thirty six years later. After nearly a century, women in engineering remain a clear minority. Proposing solutions requires knowing the causes, in order to be able to carry out actions that lead to harnessing women's talent and enable them to realise their full potential. This paper presents a multi-staged process for the integration of women in engineering degrees. The first stage analyses different issues about the faculty structure and regulations. The second stage relates educational objectives and the gender perspective. The third stage marks the importance of educational materials. The fourth stage summarizes educational methodologies and activities. The fifth stage proposes a change of assessment model. Finally, the sixth stage comments on the importance of control and visualization of results.