We are constantly being bombard with reports about the harmful effects our throw-away society has on our environment.  

With our fossil fuel supplies rapidly depleting, the race is on to find energy sources that are both affordable and environmentally friendly.  Australia is in a unique position because of the potential to harness the vast natural energies of our land including solar, tidal and geothermal. Women on the forefront of these innovative technologies are facing some unique challenges. If their voice isn’t heard our future generations may never experience the natural beauty of our land as we know it.

The recent IEEE Women in Science & Engineering (WISE) Conference held in Perth March 23 – 25 at our convention centre brought the world stage to our shores. WISE is the largest international professional organization dedicated to promoting women engineers and scientists. 

With keynote speakers assembled from around Australia and overseas we were treated to some very interesting views on women in leadership roles and what companies can do to facilitate activities of promoting women in engineering, scientific and technology fields.

Key Note speaker Hon. Kate Doust MLC, Shadow Minister for Energy, Science and Innovation addressed two key aspects of women in science and engineering – Education and Employment. The panel that I chaired debated these topics and panel member Ms. Erica Smyth who is a Director of Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, gave an insight to the affects the recent earthquakes in Japan could have on the industry.

The real question of today’s society lies around how do we harness the talents and contributions to environment and sustainability of women, so that the next generation of women can be inspired to undertake the challenges that face us in the next century. 

For further information please see http://ieee-wise.debii.curtin.edu.au/