December 6 commemoration - The Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec hopes to highlight women's contributions to the profession Français

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Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec

Dec 06, 2019, 08:00 ET

MONTREAL, Dec. 6, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - In conjunction with the Polytechnique massacre 30th anniversary commemoration events in which she will participate today, Kathy Baig, Eng., FEC, MBA, President of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, hopes to highlight the growing number of women engineers in Québec and the initiatives that are being taken to keep increasing their contributions to the profession.

"The profession has not forgotten the 14 women who lost their lives on December 6, 1989, especially the 12 who were preparing to practice engineering. While honouring the memory of these victims, we must also pay tribute to the resilience and determination of the survivors who, each in their own way, have helped advance our profession and increase the number of women in it," commented Ms. Baig.

Actions to speed up the progress

Women have made remarkable progress within our profession over the last three decades, from just 4% of engineering professionals in 1989 to 15% in 2019. To speed up this progress, the OIQ is taking concrete actions in support of the "30 by 30 initiative," whose goal is for women to account for 30% of new engineers by 2030.

Girls are more likely to study engineering if they meet women engineers who can serve as examples and talk to them about the profession at the right time in their lives. With this in mind, this fall, the OIQ launched the Women Ambassadors of the Profession program, in which over 320 women engineers will visit secondary schools across Québec. In 2020, this program will also be carried out at CEGEPs.

In addition, the OIQ has created a mentorship program to help female students and young women professionals in engineering stay in the profession, and members of the profession will be invited to become involved in it starting next year.

Finally, to mark this thirtieth anniversary, the OIQ encouraged its employees to wear a white ribbon today, which stands for the elimination of violence against women and girls. The 65,000 current and future members of the profession are encouraged to do the same.

About the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec
The Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec will turn 100 years old in 2020. It has a membership of some 65,000 engineering professionals in all fields, except forest engineering. The OIQ's aim is to be a unifying organization and a reference for professionalism and excellence in engineering. Its mission is to protect the public by acting to ensure that engineers serve society with professionalism and integrity, in compliance with the laws, regulations and standards that govern the profession and in the public interest. For more information, go to oiq.qc.ca.

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SOURCE Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec

For further information: Patrick Leblanc, Senior Public Affairs Advisor, Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, Tel.: 514 845-6141, extension 3108

Related Links

www.oiq.qc.ca

Organization Profile

Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec