Women Engineers Convene To Celebrate Female Engineering Day and Awards In Harare
By Desire Tshuma
Harare – Women engineers in Zimbabwe are breaking barriers in a traditionally male-dominated field. Despite challenges, many are excelling and inspiring others to follow suit.
Today, women engineers converged in Harare to celebrate, empower and give awards to those female engineers who excelled in their business enterprises.
“Women engineers are out numbered by men counterparts and we are in some entities less than 20% as women but there are some strides that have been made to close the gap by prioritising women at universities,” Eng Martha Ndoro (pictured left) said.
Eng Ndoro graduated in 1993 as an engineer in Cuba after finishing her 6 year course including Spanish language which is mandatory. She is currently the Deputy Director in the Maintenance department under the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development.
Among female engineers who were in attendance was Engineer Dorothy Madziya .
“I am the Director Engineering services in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, this is our first conference whose theme is ‘Together We Engineer’. We have women from different facets of engineering, for example manufacturering and construction. My portfolio is to oversee development of infrastructure for the public, for example schools, hospitals and all government buildings. We are maintaining 44 000 government buildings countrywide,” narrated Eng Madziya.
Women make up only about 10-20% of the engineering industry in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers (ZIE) is working to promote women in engineering through project tours, World Engineering Day celebrations, and programs to encourage women to enter the field.
Many women exit the field mid-career due to insufficient support, gendered expectations, or lack of visibility.
Women remain underrepresented in leadership roles.
SIRDC is one of the companies that supports women in engineering through research and development initiatives .
