Despite the claim women are taking over universities — women make up approximately 60 per cent of the undergraduate population — female enrolment in engineering has fallen to just 20 per cent of the first-year class. However, female engineering students in Ontario aren’t prepared to sit back and watch this number keep falling.

Several student groups have developed multiple new initiatives to attract and retain female engineering students.

Allison Stevenson, communications officer for the Faculty of Engineering, said Western maintains average entrance numbers for women at around 17 to 19 per cent for the first-year class.

According to Barbara McCann, faculty registrar for the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto, Toronto’s numbers have fluctuated between 24 and 27 per cent, but declined slightly last year. The University of Waterloo suffered a 15 per cent drop in first-year engineering enrolment last year.

Women in Engineering, a student group, aims to alleviate the declining numbers.

“Women in Engineering works to empower and encourage current and prospective female students in the field of engineering by providing support and opportunities to increase confidence in a fair environment,” said Savitri Samaroo, president of Western’s WIE chapter.

In a faculty sometimes resembling an old boys’ club, WIE tries to foster a sense of community and provide a social and support network for female engineering students.

“Many students comment that there are very few women around them,” Samaroo said. “In specific disciplines there can be as little as two female students per class, so WIE gives members an opportunity to meet women from different disciplines and interact with female professors.”

WIE is also involved in “Go Eng Girl,” an event held at 10 different locations across Ontario, including Western.

“[This event] is an opportunity for girls in [grades seven through 10] to explore the field of engineering,” Samaroo said. “The girls meet women currently studying engineering, learn about female engineers’ jobs, and participate in hands-on activities.”

Discovery Western is also combating this shortage of women. It runs science and engineering camps during the summer, including a special weekend just for women.

Other schools are also involving more women in engineering. Martha Foulds, director of communication and planning for the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Waterloo and a member of Waterloo’s chapter of WIE, said Waterloo has devoted an entire section of its new strategic plan to raising awareness for women in engineering.

The University of Toronto recently launched four new recruitment programs, including mentorship programs and science camps. In addition, Toronto is commitmented to a dozen other groups, special events and mentorship programs.

Western professor Cynthia Dunning noted the importance of these initiatives.

“Engineering is a diverse profession, and different people bring different perspectives to our work, so it’s very important for us to encourage people from all different backgrounds to consider the field of engineering,” she said.