When Dr. Laura Fogg \u2011Rogers first developed Women Like Me<\/em>, she wanted to address a long standing, systemic issue that has been historically difficult to approach. Brilliant women were entering professions with enthusiasm, ability, and ambition but getting worn down and burned out quickly, because of the culture surrounding the work. Women consistently felt \u201clike they were constantly proving they deserved to be in the room.\u2019\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Fogg\u00a0 That belief has helped shape a research\u2011informed, award\u2011winning, initiative that is transforming how the region nurtures and retains engineering talent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Why Talent Was Slipping Through the Cracks<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite major progress, women remain under-represented in Engineering and, more widely, STEM education and careers worldwide. Recent studies show women make up only 28% of the STEM workforce<\/a> depending on region, and their participation in STEM training pathways remains significantly lower than men. With gender stereotypes and lack of visible role models less women are training into STEM and Engineering careers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Further issues arise for women within the workplace. Many women report navigating professional isolation, a lack of relatable mentors, and limited opportunities to build confidence in leadership and communication. These challenges affect organisations greatly, through reduced retention, stalled progression, and a narrowing of perspectives within teams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One engineer reflected,\u00a0\u201cI was doing\u00a0good work, but I\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0feel visible. I\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0feel like a leader even though others told me I was capable of more.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n This gap is deeply problematic because it limits diversity, reduces inclusion, and ultimately weakens the innovation potential of the sector. At a time when the world is confronting complex economic, environmental, geopolitical, societal, and technological challenges, addressing underrepresentation is crucial. Closing the gender gap is essential to drive sustainable, tech\u2011enabled innovation, and to meet the economic demands of a rapidly evolving global landscape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the gap Women Like Me set out to close. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Women Like Me combines mentoring, skills development, outreach, and community. These are all backed by research led from UWE Bristol\u2019s Science Communication Unit. The programme was set up in 2019 with Dr Laura Hobbs, and has received funding from the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Digital Engineering Technology and Innovation initiative, Office for Students, Rider Levett Bucknall, and Suez. In 2023, the programme expanded to the construction and property sector, and in 2025 worked with UWE Degree Apprenticeships to reach women in digital and nuclear fields. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Early\u2011career and mid\u2011career women are paired with senior mentors who understand the realities of male-dominated workplaces and can offer guidance with empathy and experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Participants also take part in communication training and outreach activities, organised by research associates Sarah Behenna and Louisa Cockbill, to support them becoming visible role models, and developing a support structure for the next generation. This approach builds not only individual confidence but a wider culture where women\u2019s voice is heard and their expertise is acknowledged and amplified. Since 2024, Professor Sue Durbin<\/a>, Dr Vanda Papafilippou, Dr Samantha Organ, <\/a>and Dr Amina Hamoud<\/a> have lent their expertise to strengthening work on inclusive HR practices and intersectionality within the programme. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As one industry partner put it, \u201cThe engineers we supported through Women Like Me returned with a sense of renewed purpose. Their confidence grew; this had a direct impact on our organisation.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n The transformation participants describe is both personal and professional. Many speak about finally feeling like they belong, gaining the confidence to put themselves forward, and seeing their skills recognised within their teams. \u201cBeing part of Women Like Me helped me step into my own voice. I\u2019m now leading projects I would never have felt bold enough to take on before.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n For enterprises, this translates into more engaged staff, stronger leadership potential, and a workplace culture that attracts and retains diverse talent. The region benefits too, through expanded outreach networks, strengthened industry\u2013university collaboration, and a more resilient engineering and construction ecosystem built on inclusion rather than exclusion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The next phase of Women Like Me aims to deepen its reach, engaging more women, working with more employers, and creating broader visibility for women within the sector. The programme will continue building on the Science Communication Unit\u2019s research to evolve mentoring, leadership training, and outreach activity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Fogg\u2011Rogers says, \u201cWe\u2019re not just supporting individual careers; we\u2019re helping reshape the culture of engineering so that women\u2019s talent is valued, recognised, and retained.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Discover more about the Women Like Me project.<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A programme that boosts confidence, transforms workplaces, and strengthens the region\u2019s talent pipeline. A Turning Point for Women in Male Dominated Industries When Dr. Laura Fogg \u2011Rogers first developed Women Like Me, she wanted to address a long standing, systemic issue that has been historically difficult to approach. Brilliant women were entering professions with enthusiasm, ability, and ambition but getting worn down and burned out quickly, because of the … Continue reading “Enterprise that fuels progress: How Women Like Me Is Redefining What\u2019s Possible for Women in\u00a0Male Dominated Industries\u00a0“<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":8667,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8664","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/78"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8664"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8664\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8668,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8664\/revisions\/8668"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8664"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8664"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8664"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}–<\/s>Rogers wanted\u00a0to change this by creating networks of women\u00a0within\u00a0male-dominated\u00a0industries\u00a0who\u00a0feel seen and supported.\u00a0\u201cWomen Like Me is about making sure talented women\u00a0aren\u2019t\u00a0lost in the background. When\u00a0women\u00a0feel supported and empowered, they contribute more confidently to their teams and the whole sector benefits.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nInside a Programme Built to Change the System<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/04\/AdobeStock_297139926.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhat\u2019s Next for Women Like Me<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you liked this blog read: <\/strong>The impact of hybrid working on Black women academics: navigating visibility, care and change<\/strong><\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n