May 26th, 2016 Speaker Series - Volume 2: Gender Diversity in Engineering & Science
AVE Network is thrilled to have one of our Advisor's, Joy Brown presenting on Gender Diversity in Engineering & Science for the second edition of our speaker series. We will be meeting on Thursday, May 26th at Ki Restaurant on 308 4 Ave SW at 4.30pm.
The diversity challenge is no longer a debate in Canada. Men currently outrank women 2 to 1 in leadership positions and the photo here is a good representation. The issue of the lack of women in leadership roles is so prevalent that the Government of Alberta has recognized that “Some of the most resourceful and best educated women in the country live in Alberta, but currently Alberta has the lowest representation of women on boards of public agencies and private companies". This challenge has resulted in the recent development of the GOA’s 2016 development of their Department of Status of Women to shape policies and programs to integrate gender equality into public and private institutions to create conditions for equality (See Link: GOA, 2016). AVE Network is looking forward to welcoming you to this very important speaker series.
Joy recently presented the following talk to the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS) on behalf of the WinSETT Centre.
Abstract:
There is a very strong business case for workforce diversity yet there are still very few women engineers and scientists, especially in decision-making roles. Many of the reasons for this are known and they continue to be explored to reach a greater understanding of their influence. These include gender factors and corporate culture.
The Canadian Centre for Women in Science, Engineering, Trades and Technology, the WinSETT Centre, was established six years ago to further understand the barriers and to take action to change the situation. By listening to women engineers and scientists needs, a series of one-day workshops which give women tools for career satisfaction and advancement have been developed.
The WinSETT Centre has also participated in numerous initiatives including Engendering Engineering Success which will also be discussed.
About Joy Brown B.Eng., M.Sc.:
Joy grew up in Saskatoon and received her engineering degree and a Master’s in geophysics, both from the University of Saskatchewan. She joined the oil and gas industry in 1990 and has spent most of last 26 working years in Calgary. Joy’s volunteering in support of women in SETT began in university and carried on throughout her career, leading to her current term as a Director on the board of the WinSETT Centre (www.winsett.ca).
