2024-07-23
28 分钟The engineering industry, like many other STEM sectors, has a problem with diversity: one that Dawn Bonfield believes we can and must fix, if we're to get a handle on much more pressing planetary problems... Dawn is a materials engineer by background, who held roles at Citroën in France and British Aerospace in the UK. But, after having her third child, she made the difficult decision to leave the industry - as she thought at the time, for good. However a short spell working in post-natal services and childcare gave her new skills and a fresh perspective. This led to Dawn rehabilitating the struggling Women in Engineering Society and creating ‘International Women In Engineering Day’, which has just celebrated its 10th anniversary. Today, she’s Professor of Practice in Engineering for Sustainable Development at King’s College London, and the founder of Magnificent Women: a social enterprise celebrating the story of female engineers over the past century. She’s also President of the Commonwealth Engineers’ Council and has had her work supporting diversity and inclusion recognised with an MBE. Dawn talks to Professor Jim Al-Khalili about why 'inclusive engineering' should not be dismissed as tokenism, and why she's optimistic about the engineering sector's power to change the world. Presented by Jim Al-Khalili Produced by Lucy Taylor
BBC Sounds Music Radio Podcasts.
Hello, and welcome to the podcast edition of the Life Scientific.
I'm Jamal Khalili and this is the show where I get to talk with some of the world's leading scientists and you get to find out what drives them.
So sit back, get comfortable and enjoy the episode.
Today we're talking about diversity in science and more specifically in engineering.
Women make up more than half of the UK workforce, just over 56%, but they only account for 15.7% of engineering and technology roles.
My guest today is trying to change that.
Dawn Bonfield is a material engineer by background.
She enjoyed successful stints at Citroen in France and British Aerospace in the uk.
But after having her third child, she made the difficult decision to leave the industry.
And dawn admits she thought that this was going to be the end of her scientific story.
But a short spell working in postnatal services gave her new skills and a fresh perspective.
This led to her rehabilitating the str struggling Women in Engineering society and creating International Women in Engineering Day, which has just celebrated its 10th anniversary today.
She's professor of Practice in Engineering for Sustainable Development at King's College London and the founder of Magnificent Women, a social enterprise celebrating the stories of female engineers over the past century.
She's also President of the Commonwealth Engineers Council and has had her work supporting diversity and inclusion recognized with an MBE.
Quite the turnaround for someone who once thought they'd left the engine engineering sector behind them forever.
Dawn Bonfield, welcome to Life Scientific.
Thank you.
It's good to be here.
Now, let's dive in with one of the big questions.