When I was growing up, my mum was the one who fixed the toaster and rewired the house. She was an engineer, like my dad, and I grew up assuming that other girls discussed the periodic table of elements over dinner, just like me and my little sister. Back then, I had no reason to believe that being a girl might somehow impact my ability or desire to become an engineer.

When I entered the mechanical engineering program at the University of Victoria, just over 10 per cent of my classmates were women. At the time, it didn’t strike me that there was anything wrong with this—maybe most girls just didn’t like math and science the way I did.

It wasn’t until my first industry meeting that it started to dawn on me that perhaps there was something “odd” about my choice of profession. When I walked into the room, everyone turned to stare at me—it took me a few moments to realize that I was the only woman there. Shortly after, I joined the board of the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST), looking for a support system of people who had experienced the same thing.

Despite decades of investment, women are still vastly under-represented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). According to Engineers Canada, women comprise just 10.5% of registered professional engineers in this country. Female enrolment in Canadian undergraduate engineering programs peaked at 20.6 per cent in 1999, but has dropped off to approximately 17 per cent over the past decade. By contrast, more than half of undergraduate students across Canada are women. Engineers Canada has set a goal of 30 by 30, targeting a national engineering licensure rate of 30 per cent women by 2030. Thirty per cent doesn’t sound all that ambitious, until you do the math: even if there was an immediate, drastic increase in female enrolment and 50 per cent of all graduating engineers were female by 2015, we still would only hit approximately 27 per cent women in the field.

The stereotype of engineers as bespectacled, geeky men is another barrier that needs to be overcome. One of the biggest ironies is that women are particularly well suited not only for careers, but also leadership roles in STEM, for some of the exact reasons why they may avoid choosing these careers in the first place. When I talk to people about why they chose engineering, men often focus on the technology, while women talk about how that technology makes a difference in the world.

Women often avoid engineering because they want a career that involves working with people, yet teamwork is a critical component of what I do. My typical day can include anything from travelling around the world to problem-solving with multinational teams of colleagues. My engineering degree gave me the opportunity to help design potentially game-changing micro fuel cell technology, to work with the UN to develop international laws that will allow you to carry those fuel cell devices on an airplane, and to be part of a successful start-up company that was recently acquired by a multinational corporation.

We need to build awareness about the possibilities of STEM careers. We need role models for young women to look up to. Most importantly, we need support systems to attract and retain women in STEM careers.

Anna Stukas is the manager of intellectual property and regulations at BIC Inc, part of the BIC Group. The BIC Group of companies comprise an international consumer products corporation committed to delivering simple, inventive, and reliable products for everyone everywhere. Anna received her Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering (Co-op, with Distinction) from the University of Victoria.