High five for record-breaking women in engineering

Today is National Women in Engineering Day (NWED) and to celebrate the occasion, Transport for London (TfL) has set a new world record for the most people performing a jumping high-five simultaneously!

Early this morning, 857 women (and some brave men!) from across science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) industries descended on Horse Guards Parade in London to high five their amazing achievements.

This world record attempt was part of national NWED activity to showcase the exciting and hugely diverse roles that women perform in the UK. It’s not just about the engineers, but any woman who works in engineering and technology.

The high-fiving crowd was a true testament to diversity and hopefully a window into the future of engineering. Women and men of all ages, from all backgrounds, and at all levels of their careers came together to honour a common cause: the promotion of diversity and equality in their industry.

Julia, one of the event organisers, says: “There is currently a lack of females working in engineering and we need to demonstrate that it’s an environment that welcomes all, especially women.

This event is about raising the profile of careers in engineering and technology for women by highlighting the vast array of roles on offer. These industries will be made much stronger by having a more diverse workforce.”

As people practiced their jumping high five technique, Sir Peter Hendy CBE, Commissioner of TfL, addressed the crowd to thank them for taking part and to commend the women making a real difference to British engineering and helping to make the industry more accessible.

There were some Thales faces in the crowd too. Barbara Garner, Mobilisation Lead for Sub Surface Railway (SSR), says: “I came down today because this is history. The engineering industry has been slow to change but there’s been a real shift towards equality over the last five years. We just need to get ahead of the men now!”

Kate Ford, Field Operations Manager for Automatic Train Control System Readiness (ASR), adds: “I wanted to be here this morning for the chance to take part in something I can proudly tell my daughter about. I think we’re just starting to break down the preconception people have of women. There are so many different types of women here today; there are no stereotypes.”

This event was also part of TfL’s 100 years of women in transport campaign, which is as much about celebrating the past as it is about the present and the future. To find out more, please visit the TfL website.

As part of Thales’s celebration on NWED, we are also hosting an event for young women with an interest in STEM industries at our Crawley site. Read this article to find out more.