CIHT marked the occasion by running an online social media initiative, which encouraged women in the sector to share photographs of themselves holding cards describing why they love working in the transportation sector.

The Institution is also leading efforts to promote equality, diversity and inclusion in the sector through its Diversity & Inclusion Charter and Toolkit.
Other major organisations in transportation celebrating the day included High Speed 2, Highways England and Network Rail.

The former’s head of skills, employment and education Kate Myers called for women and young people to play their part in helping to deliver the new high speed railway.

“I want to encourage all those budding female engineers, project managers and designers to come and join me on Europe’s most ambitious infrastructure project, she said. “Together we can ensure that HS2 leaves a lasting skills legacy, with a culturally diverse and gender balanced workforce capable of delivering the UK’s future pipeline of engineering projects.”

Meanwhile Highways England is highlighting the key role that its female engineers are playing in developing the strategic road network and responding to Covid-19.

Its head of intelligent transport systems Dr Joanna White commented: “Highways England has enabled me to focus on my passion for research in intelligent transport systems and how they can deliver safer and more reliable journeys.

“I’ve developed from a senior research engineer through promotion to team leader and then to my dream role as head of intelligent transport systems.”

Network Rail has published the results of a survey of 16 to 21 year olds, which found that three quarters of young women feel there are not enough female role models within STEM disciplines.

In response, a competition has been launched inviting children aged between five and 14 to create a poster, poem or story celebrating the work of female engineers and the inventions and feats of engineering from women through history.

Network Rail’s director of diversity and inclusion Loraine Martins said: “I hope this will inspire young people, change perceptions and make these female role models more visible and relatable to the next generation of engineers.”

A virtual event in celebration of International Women in Engineering Day and the theme Shape the World was also hosted online by the Women’s Engineering Society yesterday.
It highlighted winners of the Top 50 Women in Engineering 2020, focusing on the theme of sustainability. To view the list of winners, click here.
(Photograph: High Speed 2)