Vision

To achieve gender equity among women and men in engineering fields, and to see a greater participation of women in research and engineering roles over longer careers.

Mission

The WREN provides a channel to promote international collaboration (grant proposals, joint publications and co-teaching partnership) between women research engineers from Brazil and Australia and builds awareness of academic leaders to create policies to support women in their academic career. The WREN will:

  • act as a channel for early-, mid- and senior- career women in engineering to connect with one another;
  • provide a platform to foster international collaboration, such as through grant proposals, joint publications, and co-teaching partnerships
  • grow from a bilateral collaboration between Brazil and Australia, to a multilateral collaboration
  • bring awareness of the gender disparity apparent in a male-dominated profession, particularly in engineering and academia, leading to the creation of policies to tackle the factors preventing women from career advancement.

The project is led by the University of Wollongong with collaboration of the University of São Paulo (Engineering school in São Carlos) and USP Women’s office.  The WREN is supported by the Commonwealth through the Council on Australia Latin America Relations (COALAR), which is part of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.