IEEE Region 8 is one of the most diverse regions within IEEE. As a result, women engineers across the Region’s countries face different challenges, and a single solution cannot meet every community’s needs. The SMART Program aims to develop tailored solutions for the specific challenges women engineers face within each Section of Region 8, enabling WIE Affinity Groups to initiate meaningful and sustainable change in their communities.
Objective
To encourage WIE Affinity Groups across IEEE Region 8 to support women engineers in their communities through plans tailored to the challenges and difficulties they face within their respective Sections.
Methodology
Each WIE Affinity Group, or group of Affinity Groups within the same Section, is requested to prepare a SMART plan that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound. The plan should be based on relevant data collected from civil authorities, questionnaires, or other reliable sources.
Guidelines
- Create a questionnaire or collect data from relevant authorities to identify the challenges faced by women engineers in your country. Examples may include companies being less likely to hire women in technical fields, women engineers requiring additional practical training, a lack of programs supporting women returning to work after maternity leave, or limited interest among girls in pursuing engineering. Keep in mind that some of these challenges may affect people of all genders.
- Identify the challenges your Affinity Group can address and develop a time-bound plan for each one. Examples may include establishing partnerships with companies to provide annual training opportunities for IEEE WIE members, organizing a nationwide campaign to introduce schoolgirls to engineering, or adopting the STAR Program. The plan should reflect the actual needs of your community. For example, communities where girls already demonstrate strong interest in STEM and engineering may not require extensive awareness campaigns.
- Develop a schedule covering the entire year and clearly address all the challenges identified during the previous steps. Progress against this schedule should be reviewed regularly.
- Ensure that the plan is developed and implemented as a team effort so that responsibilities can be transferred smoothly when the Affinity Group’s executive committee changes.
- Where appropriate, align the plan with the goals and priorities of IEEE Region 8.
- Aim to achieve measurable long-term improvement. When the same questionnaire or assessment is conducted again after three to five years, the results should demonstrate positive change.
To ask questions or express interest in implementing the SMART Program within your Section, please email [email protected] or contact us on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. Let us work together to create positive change through engineering.