Bias busting
For Practitioners.
As engineering and geoscience
practitioners, the industry
starts with you.
practitioners, the industry
Every day, your work benefits
individuals and communities
across the province, and creates
solutions for some of the
individuals and communities
across the province, and creates
solutions for some of the
most critical problems
facing us today.
facing us today.
You also have the power to create solutions and incite change within our industry for one of the biggest problems facing our field: the lack of diversity.
In Manitoba, only 17% of newly licensed engineers were women, and 1% identified Indigenous in 2019. At that same time, 33% of newly licensed geoscientists identified as women, but none identified as Indigenous. Though we have seen small improvements to those numbers over the years, and despite efforts to find solutions and ways to solve them, these low numbers have persisted for decades.
In order to be fully effective as engineers and geoscientists, we need the perspectives of people from many different identities, backgrounds and cultures to create solutions that work for everyone. Practitioners in the field must reflect the public we serve. When we lack proper representation, we are missing out on many of the experiences and imagination it takes to solve the most pressing problems facing our communities.
At Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba, we've made a commitment to building a more equitable industry - one that welcomes and supports practitioners from all backgrounds, sexual orientations, cultures, and abilities. Our mission is to create a more inclusive and representative engineering and geoscience workforce, one that represents the diversity of Manitoba.
As a practitioner, we need you to be an advocate for change within your organization, and act as an ally to people of different backgrounds and experiences within the field. Your voice is vital in building an industry that attracts new practitioners from many diverse backgrounds and allows current employees to thrive.
In Manitoba, only 17% of newly licensed engineers were women, and 1% identified Indigenous in 2019. At that same time, 33% of newly licensed geoscientists identified as women, but none identified as Indigenous. Though we have seen small improvements to those numbers over the years, and despite efforts to find solutions and ways to solve them, these low numbers have persisted for decades.
In order to be fully effective as engineers and geoscientists, we need the perspectives of people from many different identities, backgrounds and cultures to create solutions that work for everyone. Practitioners in the field must reflect the public we serve. When we lack proper representation, we are missing out on many of the experiences and imagination it takes to solve the most pressing problems facing our communities.
At Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba, we've made a commitment to building a more equitable industry - one that welcomes and supports practitioners from all backgrounds, sexual orientations, cultures, and abilities. Our mission is to create a more inclusive and representative engineering and geoscience workforce, one that represents the diversity of Manitoba.
But we can't do it
without your help.
without your help.
As a practitioner, we need you to be an advocate for change within your organization, and act as an ally to people of different backgrounds and experiences within the field. Your voice is vital in building an industry that attracts new practitioners from many diverse backgrounds and allows current employees to thrive.
Be an advocate
and an ally.
When it comes to diversity in the
workplace, there are countless ways
that every person in the engineering
and geoscience community can be a
role model for their peers, their
students and the public.
workplace, there are countless ways
that every person in the engineering
and geoscience community can be a
role model for their peers, their
students and the public.
The first step is to educate yourself on the issues.
Create safe spaces for discussion and listen to your co-workers, believe them when they bring you information that may not align with your own personal experience.
Next, work to understand your own internal, or implicit, biases. These are biases arise from subconscious associations, which may even contradict your explicit values. To have bias is normal, at times even helpful, but biases can also be harmful. So being aware of yours is an important step to ensure you do not let it impact your judgment or behaviour towards others.
Next, work to understand your own internal, or implicit, biases. These are biases arise from subconscious associations, which may even contradict your explicit values. To have bias is normal, at times even helpful, but biases can also be harmful. So being aware of yours is an important step to ensure you do not let it impact your judgment or behaviour towards others.
Finally, use your privilege, whatever it may look like, to create an environment for others to speak up and support them in making changes to our industry that will benefit current employees and those to come.
For example, you could question and discuss internal policies that may not reflect the needs of all employees, and work to change them.
Most importantly, do everything in your power to make the engineering and geoscience community one that is inclusive, open and inviting to people from all identities, backgrounds and cultures.
Most importantly, do everything in your power to make the engineering and geoscience community one that is inclusive, open and inviting to people from all identities, backgrounds and cultures.
One of the first barriers young people face when looking at their career options is that they don't see people like them in those roles.
This means that if you are an engineer or geoscientist who identifies as Indigenous, Black, a woman, non-binary and/or 2SLGBTQ+, you can help pave the way for the next generation just by being visible to them.
Why is diversity
Important?
A lack of diversity puts communities at risk, compromises the efficacy of our work, and leads to negative impacts in communities that rely on the work.
Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba has made a formal commitment to closing the gaps in our professions. Because the problems we face today require everyone to be thinking of solutions that have an effect on us all.
Read on about some ways a lack of diversity has negatively impacted the public at large.
Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba has made a formal commitment to closing the gaps in our professions. Because the problems we face today require everyone to be thinking of solutions that have an effect on us all.
Read on about some ways a lack of diversity has negatively impacted the public at large.