« For women struggling in this industry, I would say get a strong mentor »
SAWOMENG: Beginnings Founded in 2006, SAWOMENG comes from a discussion at the back of an engineering classroom at the University of Cape Town, where Naadiya and a female friend discussed the frustration of being in a class with 55 students in which only 5 were girls! “We discussed revolutionizing the face of engineering” she says. For the pair it wasn’t just getting more girls into engineering but also about mentor-ship and showcasing engineering in South Africa. They wanted to get employers to hire women because they are just as skilled and can contribute as much as men to the industry. She calls it “showcasing the positive effects of women in engineering to society.” SAWOMENG attracts young women to engineering by focusing on igniting the engineering flame and showing them the potential and opportunities the industry can offer them. Engineering teaches them a certain process way of thinking and will make them an asset no matter what they decide to do in the future. This is what draws many to the association.
The Pipeline, Girleng, and The Network
SAWOMENG revolves around these three branches: The Pipeline, Girleng and The Network. The pipeline at SAWOMENG simply involves looking at how to get more girls into engineering and what support structure and programs they need to succeed. Girleng is the association’s high school program. The notion there is to start creating awareness about engineering through mentorship. The association trains university students to be “big sisters” or mentors to high school students. The logic behind this is that a girl from a rural area will have a hard time applying and funding an engineering school without any help. A “big sister” is here to help that high school student through that process. Once that high school student gets into university then she is also trained to be a “big sister” to another high school student who wants to discover engineering. At their second or third year of University, these girls are eligible to participate in the SAWOMENG conferences. At the conferences, top students in engineering gather to discuss important engineering innovations. “Something we noticed is that engineers are not talking about the important issues. Last year I went to ten workshops on China in Africa, it’s a big topic but no one in Africa was talking about it. We were the first to host a conference talking about this and the effects on the continent.,” says Naadiya. This year the theme is “Engineering Technology For Social Good.” At this level the association also provides network events sponsored by companies looking for graduates. It gets people to mingle and network in the professional realm. It’s an access to more qualified engineers, not just graduates through conferences.
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