Diversity training for engineers: making ‘gender’ relevant

In 1992, at the UN International Conference on Water and the Environment in Dublin, delegates adopted the principle that ‘women play a central part in the provision, management and safeguarding of water’. While this principle has been largely accepted at policy level in international development, it has proved harder to put into practice. Gender training for engineers and allied professionals was treated as a socioeconomic issue and not part of mainstream infrastructure and basic public service provision. As part of a 3-year study into this area and a series of subsequent training courses, a team of engineers and training professionals has developed new conceptual approaches to training engineers, focusing on the practical application of the Dublin principle. The study looks at the concepts of relevance, engagement and practical skills required to deliver infrastructure services to the whole of society.