Monday 8^th March is International Women’s Day. At National Grid, our team is full of talented female engineers breaking through stereotypes to enjoy successful careers in a traditionally male dominated industry.

This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is #ChooseToChallenge and our female engineers are challenging stereotypes every day by advancing gender equality and acting as a diverse representation of the engineering industry.

At National Grid, we are committed to challenging preconceived stereotypes of who should work in engineering by encouraging underrepresented groups, such as women, to consider a Science, Technology, Mathematics and Engineering (STEM) related career. Diversity in STEM will also play a key role in the UK’s journey towards a sustainable future: National Grid research found that the UK’s energy sector will need to fill 400,000 jobs if it’s to meet its target to deliver net zero emissions by 2050.

Above: Staff at our Hurst site raising their hand in support of International Women’s Day 2021. The sign reads: We #ChooseToImprove. #ChooseToWork. #ChooseToDivesify.

Anastasia Salemi, Project Manager, London Power tunnels, pictured above (front right) said: “Choosing to challenge gender stereotypes is not only important for advancing women’s empowerment, it is also a critical part of addressing the skills gap. It is vital we attract those who would not normally consider a job within the sector.

To improve diversity in the STEM sector we’ve partnered with social enterprise Connectr to deliver a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and careers outreach programme across South London to encourage women into STEM subjects from a young age. This is just one of the many ways that National Grid is supporting gender equality in the engineering industry.

Above: Staff at our New Cross site raising their hand in support of International Women’s Day 2021. The sign reads: International Woman’s Day

Sarah Woolham Jaffier, Project Manager, London Power Tunnels pictured above (back coat) said: “#ChooseToChallenge is all about creating an inclusive world where we seek out and celebrate women’s achievements and call out gender bias and inequality. Improving diversity in engineering is not just a box ticking exercise: encouraging those from different backgrounds to aspire to a career in STEM will introduce different perspectives to the sector and drive future innovation.”