Re-branding engineering for young women

WorldChanging reports on a university competition to make engineering more appealing to young women:

Imperial College London today launches an annual Green Design Challenge, a competition aiming to raise the profile of engineering among young women... Dr Keith Pullen, Senior Lecturer and co-organiser of the competition, said today: “Two of the major world challenges for the 21st century are climate change and alleviation of poverty. We are keen to raise the awareness of the role of the mechanical engineer as a central player in the solution of these problems, and to highlight principles of design and engineering to young women. When members of Imperial's engineering departments visit schools they frequently hear that environmental issues are of particular interest to young women, so this competition will focus on the technical and project engineering skills needed to develop and build sustainable solutions in renewable energy.”

This is smart and seems also to support Professor Wendy Hall's thesis that technology work is getting better for women. I also enjoy the (essentialist but cheering nonetheless) implication that smart young women might positively transform the interests of science and technology.