International Women in Engineering Day 2026
International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) is an opportunity to celebrate the many people shaping the engineering profession and to recognise the impact women are making across the industry.
This year, as part of our celebration, some of our colleagues got together to reflect on what the day means to them, why representation matters, and how having different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives impacts the work we do.
Why INWED Matters
The official theme for this year’s International Women in Engineering Day 2026 is:
#EngineeringIntelligence
This year’s theme, focuses on the expertise and leadership women bring to engineering across all sectors, celebrating the many routes into engineering.
For our colleagues, Dr Mansi Desai, Kris Jensen, Slyvn Omwenga, Karen Garcia Diaz and Ana Esteban, INWED is not only about celebrating women who hold engineering titles, but also about women in the workplace. The discussion emphasised that people from different disciplines, roles and career paths all contribute to engineering outcomes, whether through technical delivery, design influence, project support or collaboration with engineers.
The biggest takeaways from the discussion were the importance of seeing women represented in engineering, particularly for those who have come from countries, sectors or have early experiences where engineering was traditionally male-dominated. Visibility matters because it encourages a sense of belonging in the industry and shows women that engineering is a potential career path.
The panel also highlighted the importance of collaboration in engineering. Working in a positive and open environment in which other colleagues and mentors support each other, because meaningful progress is built through teamwork and communication.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
At Pell Frischmann, we are committed to putting Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at the heart of our culture. Pell Frischmann, and the journey of each individual employee, does not exist in a vacuum. Inequality varies across sectors, disciplines, regions and characteristics. Through our EDI Strategy, we focus our efforts, time and resources on the areas where we can have the most positive beneficial impact on our people and society.
After extensive research, the organisation has recognised three goals to help support positive change within Pell Frischmann, our industry as a whole and in society more generally.
To help support this, an EDI Action Group was formed – a group from across the business (region, discipline, characteristics, grade) – appointed and empowered to drive the strategy forward.
Moreover, we are thrilled to have been shortlisted as a finalist for the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Leader – Consultant category, awarded by New Civil Engineer Awards.
