ULAB 2122

Advanced Academic English Skills

Section 24

Title : More Women Engineers Are Needed to Help Malaysia to

Achieve the 2020 Vision

1. Goh Shong Wei B14KM0013

2. Mohamad Hafizul bin Asnan A14KM0077

More Women Engineers are Needed to Help Malaysia to Achieve the 2020 Vision
1.0 Introduction

Scientists investigate that which already exist; engineers create that which has
never been, Albert Einstein (Engineering Design Quotations, 2002), one of the worlds
greatest scientist, hit the nail right in the head when had been asked about what is
engineering? In simple word, an engineer is a person that identify the problem and
come_up with the solution and create something new to solve that problem. Now
engineering is a profession that is a discipline that open up opportunities and create a
technology_and product that make our life become easier. Engineers are shaping the
future by applying their skill to almost everything in our life, from medicine to renewable
energy, food technologies to sustainable mining. There is no limit to what engineers can
do. From Chinese dams to the world tallest building, ingenious engineering has broken
records and raised expectation around the world over the last decade. The top engineers
all the time are Nicolaus Otto who develops the four-stroke engine, Alan Turing
developed the binary code that is used in computer, Thomas Edison who created the first
electrical plant and distribution (Top Ten Engineers of All Time, 2008). But from the top
engineers all the time, do you ever wondered where the female engineer are? All we can
read or hear from a few years ago is about the male engineer. Did female engineer not
succeeded in the engineering field? Women in the engineering field have become the
minority because this field has been dominated by male engineers. In Malaysia, based on
statistic engineer registered with Institute of Engineer Malaysia (IEM) from 1969 to 2003
show that the increases in female engineers. In 1969, there is no women engineer
compared to 351 men engineers. In 1979, the percentage of women engineer registered
with IEM is 1%. The number has risen steadily to 20%. In 2003 which is approximately
20 fold within 2 decades (Siti Hamisah and Norliza, 2005). The 21st century has seen
women engineers in Malaysia involved in the construction of important projects in
Malaysia such as KLCC and KLIA. As we can see female engineer is less than the male
engineer. In order to achieve the vision 2020, Malaysia needs more women in the
engineering field because the idea from the women can be used for the development of
our country. Tang Kok Yun (2011), IEM Sabah branch vice chairman said that women
engineers can be one of the strong device forces to build our nation towards achieving the
2020 visions of a developing and high-income nation. To achieve the vision 2020 women
should cooperate with the others. The increases in the number of women engineer should
make vision that can be achieved easier than before.

2.0 Body

2.1 Reasons of Why Less Women Engineers

2.1.1 Stereotype

Before we get to know why more women are needed in engineering, we have to
know that reason of fewer women engineers. Nowadays, the world is changing from day
to day, the climate has become more welcoming women who want to join engineering
field. But why are not more women engineers? What could still keeping women out of
engineering? The most common reason is because of the old engineering stereotype that
women are incapable than men in engineering. Once upon a time, there are only men in
engineering or technology world while women are almost prefered in any other fields
instead of the engineering. This condition has last for few centuries and it already become
an image to public that engineering is male conquered field, there is no space for women.
In old times, men always thought that women will never make any contribution to
engineering. The stereotype had created a gender gap and makes women are not
welcoming to the engineering due to the egotism of men engineer (Hill, Corbett and St.
Rose, 2010).

2.1.2 Lack of Encouragement

Today, besides of this old engineering stereotype, women are held back by the
lack of encouragement. Because of the low ratio of women and men in engineering, there
are only a few women role models in the engineering field to inspire and convince them
to join the field. Yale physicist Meg Urry (2013), in an article on women engineering said
that Women need more positive reinforcement, and men need more negative
reinforcement. For example, a child, if can get any encouragement on what she did, she
will pay more attentions or more hardworking on it. Those girls having the same situation
as the child, if they can get encouragement, which will increase their confident and
courage. As there is more role model of women engineers encourages them, there will be
more young women enter the profession.
2.1.3 Just Not Interested

Most of girls and women are not interested in engineering because of they just not
interested in mathematics and physics. In some of the researches that have done before,
women always express less interest than men do (Corbett, 2010). Even there are some
women is talented or have results with flying color in mathematics and physics science,
they are still not joining the engineering sector. More or less this maybe cause by the old
engineering stereotype, but there are also possible cause the bias of women to math and
physics. They will choose the courses in humanities, life sciences, and social science
instead of engineering, computer science or the physical science. Interest in a field is the
most important factor in choosing and secure degrees, if we do not have any interest in it,
we will never going to access to it.

2.1.4 Closed-Minded Employers

Sometimes, even some of the women are very confident, talented, and interested
in engineering, but the employers always did not offer a chance to them. Bias of the
employers is due to the stereotype in old times. They do not believe that womens skills
and knowledge are good enough to handle the works just like the men do. Those
employers that closed-minded thinks that women are not fit in the engineering.
Inequalities of opportunities to get the jobs from the employers leads to this situation
which is lacks of women engineers in the field. In the previous time, those women after
graduated from university cannot pursue a job that is related to engineering career. They
are forced to change to another sector because of this sexism stereotype. A gender gap is
created in this sector since long time ago, it is only can be eliminated with time flies and
the employers in nowadays has become more opened-minded (Hill, Corbett and St. Rose,
2010).

2.2 Reason of Why Need Women Involved in Engineering Field

So, is there really to urge the needs of more women involved in engineering? Can
increase of the number of female engineers really help Malaysia to achieve the Vision
2020? The answer most probably could be YES, but why? Meera Kaul (2015), a serial
entrepreneur and angel investor, said that everything around us is moving towards
technology, science and engineering, if women do not take a strong lead in being
technical themselves, we will lose out on a lot of opportunity in the world going forward.
Engineering should be especially attracted to females, for not only does it yield higher
salaries than female-dominated professions. In fact, engineering is one of the five best-
paid occupations for females, along with law, medicine, computer science, and education.

2.2.1 Creativity and Diversity

Firstly, creativity and diversity would be the reasons that we need more women in
engineering field. These are linked and that both are necessary to fully exploit the
potential of woman to contribute to the engineering. Diversity either in a team or in the
workplace is an advantage that fuels the creativity. Hammer and Champy (1993) stressed
the need for engineering to include women. They maintain that a team which includes
with women will be much more creative than a team with all men. A diverse team may be
more creative than homogenous team. Diversity also can make the fields more
competitive and motivating the science and technology. The men will discover that the
engineering is no more dominated by men only which there is the number of women
engineers is increasing. Those men will be aware on this matter and feel insecure. Then
they may put more efforts to their works to make a better production. There would be a
good motivation for them to help to improve the contribution to engineering field. Gender
diversity makes both of them want to prove that which of them are better, thus the
competitive workplace is created. Healthy competition inspires both of them to do their
best, not just good enough. Competitive helps them to become more inquisitive and learn
to works with each other, they will strive to do more than required. Without diversity, the
engineering industries can easily become intellectually stagnant Shirley, 1999.

2.2.2 Improve Womens Position in Labour Market

Moreover, with the raising the number of women in engineering field, womens
position in labour market can be improved, and strengthen their competence to pursue a
job in engineering field easily. Even though they are women but they are capable. In the
past, there are more difficult for women to pursue an employment compared to men. This
situation caused by the misconception that women are weaker compared to men and
having many family responsibilities. An experiment has been done recently which the
candidates consists of both male and female is going to pursue an engineering
employment (Reuben, Sapienza, and Zingales, 2014). Without any information of the
candidates is provided, other than their gender and appearance, the hiring manager
choose the man instead of the woman with no reason. Why would this situation happen,
the manager choose the male instead of that woman for no reason? All of this is due to
the misconception of women is not compatible in engineering field. Thus, more women
are needed in engineering field can help to distinguish the false mindset, show the world
women have the same strength as men or better, and improve the position of women in
the market. Besides, engineering is one of the fields that proving a better and satisfying
salary, entry of women into engineering field can help to improve their pay and then
strengthen their position. Because women in previous time always having a lower
average pay when compared to men. With joining of those women engineer, when
excellent role model exists among them, the position of women in engineering will
strengthen and access to progression opportunities for women will improve soon. Other
than that, it can motivate more women to join the field, it can help to level the field and
reach equality.

2.2.3 Fairness

Besides, fairness, another possible argument for need more women in the
engineering field (Bouville, 2007). Science and engineering are the main elements to
achieve the 2020 Vision in Malaysia. To construe fairness in science and engineering
sector is to say that science and engineering being superiorly well, everybody should
have access to them. Equal opportunity means that when people who have equivalent
abilities and who perform an equivalent amount of works reach equivalent results.
Equality of humans which no gender difference in engineering should be emphasized,
women should have equality of opportunities as men. In a perfect world, men and women
are having same and equal opportunities but in the real world, the low number of women
engineer indicates that they do not reach similar results. Women are then said to be under-
represented if the level of female enrollment in the actual world is lower than what it
would be in a perfectly fair world. In the real world, there are many women have the
better abilities and knowledge than men in the engineering field, but when they pursue a
job which competing with the men, the women always are the losers, but why? The only
different between them is only the gender, the old engineering stereotype that women is
not fit in engineering field have been influenced most of the employers mind which are
stubborn and closed-minded. Actually, in the real world, there do not have the existence
of any pieces of evidence show that women is not fit and cannot survive in the
engineering career. The real need a statement to clarify that engineering field is not
dominated by men. Women who have the rights join the field, and employers must
examine both the abilities and motivations of women compared to men.

2.2.4 Leadership

Apart from that, the leadership of women, one of the reasons that Malaysia can
achieve the 2020 Vision by increase the number of women in the engineering field. In
general, women have a more emotional, sensitive, expressive, gentle, warm and
empathetic as characteristics. While men have a more aggressive, independent, logical,
rational, analytical, and impersonal as characteristics. (Winters, 2011) Both genders
having different biological characteristics which have leads to two totally different style
of leaderships. There is no exact answer for the question do women having better
leadership than men? The most suitable answer for the question is it all depends. The
style of leadership of men supposed is strong and assertive while women should be softer
and gentler. In the previous time, men have dominated the field of engineering, the men
style leadership is widespread in the career for a few centuries. Now, it is the time to
make some changes. By the joining of women in the engineering field, the women style
leadership is applied in the field, and lets see how the women style leadership leads the
engineering field to reach another peak of technology. Based on a research, sometimes
women are more effective than men due to their biological characteristics. (Moltz, 2013)
They are better communicators which can handle the employees by become better
listeners compared to men. Women are also better community builders with their nature
characteristics which are patience. They know how to build good relationships with their
employees. They would not make a quick decision to take action while they are willing to
wait for a better solution or result. Diversity in leadership style may improve the
engineering field by bringing up the difference of general characteristics of both genders.
Women-style leaderships which are warmer and gentler that applied in the engineering
field can produce a different atmosphere of the working environment.

2.2.5 The More the Better

Lastly, the concept of The More the Better may explain that why we need more
women engineers that can help to achieve the 2020 Vision. Is more really better? The
concept of The More the Better is a two-edged sword. The More may bring up two
opposite-sided effects, The More either may leads to better ideas and production or
cause them more confusing on ideas. By thinking positively, the concept of The More
the Better may be useful in the engineering field. Since few centuries before,
engineering field is a male-dominated field, all the men are having a similar thought or
idea on engineering. With joining of female engineers, they can provide more different
ideas compared with men. Different genders have the different way of thinking. Men and
women have different strengths, women typically have better verbal skills and men have
the better spatial and mathematics abilities. There is a vocational interest test on Holland
showed that women score higher on the artistic and social dimensions while men on
the investigative and realistic dimensions (Herk and Thompson, 2011). The diversity
that mentioned before is due to joining of female in engineering. Diversity in a team may
fuel the creativity and motivation on finishing a task. Besides, there is a stereotype said
that boys are naughtier than girls, girls is always well-behaved and tend to be more
disciplined than boys. Female engineers could be more process-oriented than male
engineers, which result in conflict in problem-solving styles. With the well-behaved
women entering into a workplace, Discipline in the workplace could be improved with
the appearance of a role model. By thinking positively, the concept of The More the
Better really can help Malaysia to achieve the 2020 Vision.

2.3 The Ways to Increase Women in Engineering Field

To achieve the Vision 2020 in Malaysia, needs of professionals no matter males or

females in every career and sector has been increased. Most professions that were
predominately male domains in previous time have been transformed. The professions
employ large numbers of females and these professions now are divided evenly between
the sexes. However, there is the only profession has remained stubbornly stuck in the past
which is the engineering. In the past few years, due to the urge to increase the number of
females in engineering, many ideas and solutions have been suggested. But the problem
still not improved, because not much people noted the seriousness of this problem.

2.3.1 Break the Stereotype

Break the old engineering stereotype is the most important way to eliminate the
problem. There are many reasons of lack of females in engineering is cause by stereotype
(Shirley, 1999). To break the stereotype, the proper concept have to implant into those
girls before the stereotype has hacked into their mind. Studies showed that those kids
usually decide on their career when in secondary school which means that the proper
concept have to implant to them before the graduated from secondary school. Sufficient
of encouragement from the teachers and also parents will make the condition of now
become different in future.

2.3.2 Role Model

Another way would be for more engineers, especially those female engineers to
share their stories. Few of stories of the real engineers in action portrayed in movies and
televisions may evoke the passion of girls to become a more successful engineer after
listening to those stories which are touching or exciting. Astronauts used to be a very
famous role model in the movies like superheroes movie Fantastic Four. It is a story of
groups of astronauts experienced some strange phenomena in space and receive the
superpowers. Although it is an imaginary science fiction movie, but its interesting stories
had influenced the children express their wish to become astronauts. They do not want to
become the engineers who helped propel the astronaut into space. In the same case, a
successful female engineer who shared her touching stories which may help to change the
girls mind to follow her path to be same minority successful female engineer as her
(Shirley, 1999).

2.3.3 Efforts on Influencing the Employers Mind

Efforts on influencing the employers mind and companies to hire females should
be focused and on the encouraging females to go into emerging engineering fields. The
closed minded concept of women is not fit in engineering have to eliminate from
employers so that equality chances of employment are given to males and females.
Employers should evaluate the engineers by their knowledge and skills, not the sexes and
appearance. A male engineer does not mean that he is the one who expert while a female
engineer does not mean that her skills are not better than males. By this, an environment
of mutual respect between men and women is built up (Shirley, 1999). In the previous
time, those men will not give any respect to women in engineering field because of there
are no any successful female engineer. Unluckily, this concept is also supported by those
employers. But now, the increase of more successful women in different career and also
the increase of the number of female engineers who more expert than men. The
environment of work for women become more comfortable which a woman-friendly
environment like in other careers and sectors.

3.0 Conclusion

As a conclusion, based on the research that we did, we found that women are
needed to help Malaysia to achieve the 2020 Vision. The trend of history show that the
old engineering stereotype is eliminating. We can see from the statistic, the female
engineers who are registered with IEM is increasing from year to year until Malaysia
achieve the vision. To achieve the vision, the old stereotype saying that engineering is not
suitable for women has to be eliminated. In order to achieve the vision, both genders have
to work hard for it. As we all see through the years, women engineers have been work
harder to earn respect and recognition for their efforts and contribution towards nation
building from the society. Malaysia will have a good female engineer if the current
atmosphere such as engineering is only for men is removed from our society and equal
opportunities are given to the both gender without discrimination. This will make a good
environment for all the female engineers (Siti Hamisah and Norliza, 2005). One of the
important determinants for Malaysia to achieve vision 2020 will be a contribution from
the female engineers. Women will be among the main backbone in supplying the advance
technical knowledge in transforming Malaysia into a developing country and will be a
part of the team to achieve the 2020 vision. So, there is an urge need of women in
engineering, the strong reason which the increasing need for engineers and the diversity
in engineering is not just only important and it is necessary. But misconceptions of only
men are welcoming in engineering keeps influence women to reject the idea of a career in
the engineering field. Thus, a paradigm shift of the women in the engineering field is
needed. Changing in mentality, changing in the community, and change the mindset of
the engineering is only for men which are there should be no sexism in any career.
Women have the right to choose a field freely. Any career field has to intake the talented
individuals which not based on the majority gender in the career field. Women are
welcoming to any men dominated field while men are welcoming to any women
dominated field. The main challenge which is the old style mindset has to be changed
when attempting to level and equal the gender imbalance in any career field. Those who
playing the main role that influencing the career choices and aspiration such as education
provider and teachers are advised to help the community to break down those unhelpful
stereotypes. In this way, gender equality can be achieved not only in the engineering
field, it also can bring gender equality any career field that dominated by one of the
genders.
References

Journal:

Ir Prof Dr Siti Hamisah binti Tapsir and Norliza binti Mohd Noor, 2005. Women
Engineers in Malaysia. Volume 1.
Mathieu Bouville, 2007. Should There Be More Women in Science and enginnering.
Volume 3.
Catherine Hill, Christianne Corbett and Andresse St. Rose, 2010. Why So Few Women in
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Volume 1, Chapter 3-9.
Donna Shirley, 1999. Women In Engineering. Women in Engineering: Focus on Success.
Volume 29.
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