Making workplaces more inclusive for women was the main focus of the WISE (Women into Science and Engineering) Conference held at IET London: Savoy Place, on Wednesday, 16 October 2024.
Dr Laura Norton, Head of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) at the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and Managing Director of the WISE Campaign, tells us how the event—which featured a special guest appearance from Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal—was an important step forward in promoting gender equality in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
What ambitions drive the WISE Campaign?
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the WISE Campaign, which is focused on improving gender parity within STEM. We work with organisations in these sectors to help them understand where they stand regarding EDI, identify their strengths, pinpoint gaps, and figure out how to improve.
WISE provides tools, resources, workshops, and training to help these organisations attract more women, retain them, and ensure they progress in their careers. By doing so, we aim to have a significant impact on gender equality throughout the entire STEM sector.We have about 100 member organisations, many of which have thousands of employees, giving us significant reach.
How does the IET champion women in STEM?
The IET has done much work to champion women in STEM, with various campaigns and celebrations over the years. We make sure women are represented in leadership roles within the organisation so that aspiring and/or less experienced women engineers can see role models in decision-making positions and aspire to those roles themselves. We’re also focused on breaking down barriers for women in STEM, which involves reviewing our internal practices and processes, gathering data to understand where the hurdles are, and finding ways to reduce or remove those barriers.
What was the purpose of the WISE Conference?
The goal was to bring together our member organisations, partners, and those new to the WISE community to discuss how we can further gender parity and make workplaces more inclusive for women – which, in turn, makes them more inclusive for everyone.
What did the day entail?
The event took over the Kelvin Lecture Theatre and the Riverside Room at Savoy Place. We used the lecture theatre to host keynote speakers and panel discussions, then moved to breakout spaces on the ground floor for learning and innovation sessions. The exhibition and networking area was set up in the Riverside Room, which is a fantastic part of the building looking out across London.
We were honoured to have our patron, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, attend the event. She joined us on the Johnson Roof Terrace for a photograph celebrating WISE’s 40 years. Around 40 to 50 amazing women in STEM stood in a ’40’ formation looking out over London. It was a great moment, symbolising four decades of progress.
What do you believe the short-term impact of the event will be?
It was a great chance for our member organisations and those new to our community to connect in person. It’s easy to log on to online meetings, but if we’re honest, we’re often not fully engaged and get distracted. Being at an event in person allows for proper conversations, new business opportunities, and a chance to meet potential clients and customers.
It gave people time to reflect on their practices and consider what they could change in their organisations. Many attendees I spoke to were already considering who they needed to talk to when they got back to work and what they could do differently. This reflection will hopefully lead to real actions that push gender parity forward.
What do you foresee as the longer-term impact of the event?
The event helped us strengthen relationships with our existing members and reach potential new partners. We launched our new Gender Equity Framework at the conference, so in the long term, I would like to see all our members using this framework to develop their gender parity programs. The more organisations that engage with it, the better we’ll be able to benchmark progress across the sector, giving us a clearer picture of how far we’ve come and where we still need to focus our efforts.
What role does a venue like Savoy Place play in creating the desired impact?
It was a great space for what we wanted to achieve. The layout of the building allowed people to flow easily between different sessions, from lecture-style talks to smaller breakout discussions and networking. It’s a very professional setting and well-maintained – lots of people commented on how well-kept the building is and how good the transport links are. Being in such an iconic part of London, surrounded by engineering landmarks like Waterloo Bridge and the fact the BBC was previously housed in the building were conversation starters.
Are you planning further events to drive a longer-term impact objective?
Yes, we have a full calendar of events throughout the year. Some are online webinars, but we also have several in-person events. In November, we have our Measuring Progress event in Birmingham, where members will come together to share data and benchmark their progress. In December, we have our CXO Senior Leaders Roundtable in York. Then in February, we’ll return to Savoy Place for the WISE Awards, where we will celebrate those individuals and organisations doing great work to promote gender parity in STEM.
How important are business events for driving both short-term and longer-term event legacy?
In-person events are crucial for both short-term and long-term impact. They provide a unique opportunity for attendees to reflect on their experiences, share ideas, and develop new strategies for their organisations. From our perspective as WISE, these events are key to engaging with our members, fostering collaboration, and ensuring continued progress across the sector.
Capitalising on the conversations and opportunities that arise during business events is essential for driving the change we want to see in gender parity, not just in the short term, but over the long term as well.