Women’s Contribution to Science and Technology through ICWES Conferences

This book discusses the legacy of the conference series The International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists (ICWES), which spans the second half of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first. The book first presents how, at a time when there were few women engineers and scientists, a group of women organized a conference, in June 1964 in New York, which attracted 486 women. They presented their scientific achievements and debated on how to attract more women in STEM. This effort was carried out by volunteers, continuing the ICWES conferences over a period of 59 years. The authors discuss the organizers, the hosting societies, the technical content, the changes in gender issues over time, and how the continuity has endured. The authors also show the importance of global involvement, through past conferences in locations such as USA, UK, Italy, Poland, France, India, Ivory Coast, Hungary, Japan, Canada, and South Korea. They outline how these efforts were aided by the development of a not-for-profit Canadian corporation, the International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists (INWES), which ensures the continuation of the conference series. Claire Deschênes and Monique Frize ensured that the conference database was digitized and is now available at the Canadian Archive of Women in STEM, University of Ottawa Library, with the hope that researchers will continue to explore this rich material. As an important part of the Women in Engineering and Science book series, the work aims to inspire women and men, girls and boys to study and work in STEM fields. This book is important historically because it documents a unique adventure created by women in STEM leaders and pioneers. Their efforts established modes of networking and sharing their contributions in science, technology, and on gender issues. - Discusses the beginnings and legacy of the conference series: The International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists (ICWES); - Demonstrates a leadership and vision of women in male-dominated STEM professions, who share their expertise on technical and gender issues; - Contains testimonials by women around the world who have attended the ICWES conferences.