Women Engineers in the Middle East from Enrollment to Career: A Case Study

This study investigates the status of women engineers in Lebanon as a case study in the Middle East region. Through this study, the author investigated the following questions: What are the motives behind female‟s decisions to choose engineering major? What are the difficulties that female engineers have encountered in their transition from university to workplace? And what are the perceptions of female regarding the essential skills for a successful engineering career? An online survey with Likert-scaled items was completed by 327 female engineers graduated from different universities in Lebanon and working in different locations around the world. The professional growth including job satisfaction that improves the level of women‟s creativity in a challenging environment was the leading motivator for choosing engineering. Three challenges facing female engineering graduates were revealed: communication, responsibility, and self-confidence. Participants reported that they possessed adequate theoretical knowledge and technical skills before graduation. However, weaknesses in creativity and innovation were found when practicing the engineering career.