It is still astounding to me how few female engineers and leaders we can find in the resource sector.
“This isn’t for girls.” That’s what my teacher in East Germany told me in 1986 when I dreamed of studying Geophysics. Fast forward to 2025, and we’re still searching for female engineers in the resource sector. Why aren’t we moving faster?
Today, we are celebrating the International Day of Women and Girls in Science and I do like to celebrate how far we have come. Today, more and more schools directly promote girls to join science degrees.
MIT’s research drops some serious truth: teams with more women tap into higher levels of collective intelligence. It’s not just about diversity quotas – it’s about unlocking better problem-solving and collaboration. The science shows that when women join technical teams, we see a fundamental shift in behaviour, culture, and outcomes.
Here’s what I’ve witnessed facilitating engineering teams in the resource sector: all-male groups operate differently than mixed teams. The second we add women to these technical discussions, something magical happens – perspectives broaden, communication shifts, and solutions become more innovative.
For my resource sector clients looking to boost performance:
- Challenge your hiring patterns – if you’re not finding female engineers, you’re not looking in the right places
- Create psychological safety in technical discussions – diverse voices need space to be heard
- Measure your team’s collective intelligence, not just individual expertise
- Pay attention to how your team’s culture shifts with diversity – and nurture those changes
From being told “no” as a girl dreaming of Geophysics to now facilitating technical teams, I’ve seen both how far we’ve come and how far we still need to go. Like those incredible women in “Hidden Figures,” today’s female scientists and engineers are still breaking barriers – they’re just harder to see.
So cheers to woman and girls in science.