Engineer at solar station.
As the world races to meet net-zero targets, the role of women engineers has never been more critical. Today we celebrate International Women in Engineering Day 2025, under the theme “Together We Engineer.” Female engineers have been impactful in renewable energy systems, sustainable infrastructure. Women are designing, building, and maintaining the future of our planet.
The Numbers Show That We Need More Women in Engineering
According to a UNESCO Science Report, women account for just 28% of engineering graduates globally. In the United States, only 13.7% of the engineering workforce are women, according to an Engineer Choice report. The underrepresentation is stark, however there is a lot of effort being made to increase these numbers globally through STEM clubs and books that introduce girls to different STEM fields including engineering.
There are also engineers in the sustainability space like Rose Mutiso, who is the Research Director at the Energy for Growth Hub, whose work bridges energy equity and climate resilience across Sub-Saharan Africa through tailored infrastructure and policy innovation. According to IRENA’s 2023 report, over 13 million people worked in renewable energy in 2022, yet only 32% were women, and most of those were in non-technical roles. In order to accelerate climate solutions, we must increase female participation in core engineering and energy leadership positions as women bring a different perspective to the sector that they are involved in.
The professionals designing solar microgrids, optimizing battery storage, and advancing hydrogen and geothermal systems are vital to our future, and women are excelling in these roles. They bring not just technical expertise, but also empathy-led design, community-centered solutions, and systems thinking. These qualities are essential for building resilient, inclusive, and sustainable infrastructure.
A McKinsey & Company study found that companies with higher gender diversity had 36% more revenue from innovation compared to those who do not. Additionally women are also underrepresented at all levels of the corporate pipeline. Equity is not a checkbox, it is a catalyst for innovation.
Women Moving from Recognition to Action
Climate change is not gender neutral. According to the United Nations, 80% of people displaced by climate change are women, due to their disproportionate reliance on natural resources, caregiving roles, and limited access to economic and decision-making power. In low-income and rural communities, women are often responsible for food, water, and fuel collection, which are becoming increasingly scarce due to climate-related disasters. Coupled with this, these intersecting vulnerabilities compound the risk of climate-driven social and economic instability. As a result, climate action must therefore be inclusive by design, with policies and technologies that protect and empower the most affected. Companies, governments, and academia must invest in mentorship, scholarships, and structural reforms to ensure the pipeline of female talent not only opens but flows and thrives.
On this International Women in Engineering Day, we should pause and honor the women already engineering change and commit to empowering the ones of the future because, together, we engineer not just systems but a sustainable future.
