Even though many women have contributed to the diverse fields of engineering historically and currently, women are often under-represented in the academic and professional fields of engineering. Even before the term 'engineer' was known or created, women had contributed to the technological advancement of societies around the globe. During the time of the second world war, numerous women engineers have contributed to the development and programming of ENIAC. But still in 21st century, Engineering is the most male-dominated profession in the world. Even in developed countries, women are under-represented in engineering.

In US, only 13 percent of the women make the engineering work force. Number of women leaving the profession is also higher. Only about 20 percent of the graduates in collage are women, out of which 40 percent who earn the degrees will either quit or never enter the profession. The hegemonic masculine culture of engineering is influencing their mind unconsciously.

In India, the statistics are a bit better; 29 percent of female engineers were there in India in 2019. India witnessed a considerable growth in the number of women opting for STEM subjects while taking the statistics of last three years. There are more Indian female graduates, about 43 percent in STEM at the tertiary level than in developed nations like the US with 34 percent, UK with 38 percent, Germany with 27 percent and France with 32 percent. However, the number of unemployed female engineers in India is five times that of their male counterparts.

In this issue, the Women Entrepreneur magazine brings in to spotlight a list of 'Top 10 Women in Engineering - 2021'. The list has been crafted by a team of, CEOs, VCs and the our editorial board, thus delivering inspiring stories of their journey and the contributions & roles played by them in the creation and empowerment of a powerful nation.