Allow Female Children Pursue Careers In Engineering, Parents Urged

Chairman of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) Calabar chapter, Engr. Eme Nyah Enoh, has urged parents to allow their female children to study sciences and pursue engineering careers.

Speaking at a public lecture and inauguration of the 5th chapter executive in Calabar yesterday, Enoh emphasised that women can excel in engineering, just like their male counterparts.

“A woman can embrace engineering and excel in the profession like the male counterpart,” she said.

Enoh debunked the notion that women who study engineering only end up arranging files in offices, saying, “I am a civil engineer, I don’t work in the office as alleged in some climes. The believe that a woman works in office even if he studied engineering is false.”

She shared inspiring story of how she became an engineer, saying, “My passion for engineering began in JSS two as I flipped through the pages of a magazine and saw a picture of a woman fully kitted with a helmet and engineering attire.

I fell in love with the dressing and asked what it takes to become like her.”

Enoh encouraged young girls to study sciences and pursue engineering careers, saying, “I would like to encourage young girls to study sciences, embrace engineering, I tell you they can work until they get to the zenith of their career.”

She advised parents to release their girl children to pursue engineering, saying, “Honestly, I would tell them to release their girls children to embrace engineering. Engineering is a very good profession that is not exclusively reserved for men.”

Enoh shared her achievements, saying, “I bought my first car when I was an engineering student. That is how powerful engineering is. When you study engineering, don’t just float, know the nitty gritty of the profession.”

She  concluded by saying that her inspiration to become APWEN chairman is to move the association forward and add value to it, saying, “My inspiration to become APWEN chairman is to move forward APWEN in the state. I want to take the association to higher heights than where my predecessors left it.”

In her remarks, immediate past chairman of the association Engr. Mrs. Faith Edu- Itam, said , “We got a message from our former chairman that giving opportunity to the girl child to take engineering as a profession can break that stereotype that engineering is meant for only men.”

The ex- chairman  of APWEN averred  that engineering offers multiple and vast opportunities, saying, “As an engineer, you would not need to look for jobs, rather jobs will look for you. Even as a student engineer, if you know what you are doing, they will be bringing designs for you.”

Earlier, acting head, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Cross River State (UNICROSS), and guest guest  speaker,  in the public lecture, Engr. Dr. Nkpa Ogarekpe, who  spoke on the theme, “The impact of climate change on rainfall intensity: implications on urban flooding within Calabar metropolis”, urged hydraulic engineers to factor in impact of climate change during the designing stage to avoid failure.