Women in SET society turns 20 years old

In 2012, around 12% of women comprised the STEMB workforce. Today, it is around 25%. With progress still needed to increase access and representation of females in STEM roles, at both graduate and leadership levels, initiatives like WSET have actively contributed to creating communities and opportunities that support women entering STEM fields, and progressing within them. 

Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (WSET) is one of the largest student societies at Imperial. It was founded in 2007 by three female PhD students after a three-year long project by the UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (UKRC). Two decades later, the society is composed of hundreds of members, reaching over 750 in 2023, record to date. 

WSET’s main mission began as an initiative to encourage women to pursue a career in STEM after graduation, building a community where ambitious students could explore opportunities and learn about fields where they were (and still are) underrepresented. Since its foundation, WSET’s focus has evolved alongside the changing landscape for women in STEM. Over the last 20 years, it has grown into a broader professional and social network, connecting students with employers, alumni, and one another.

As the society grows, the career and networking opportunities the offer its members include larger companies, with collaborators including major employers such as Goldman Sachs, Bloomberg and Bank of America. 

The society’s activities have also expanded beyond traditional careers events. One example is FemHack, a women-only hardware hackathon organised in collaboration with all-female tech accelerator The Tech Bros and other Imperial societies. 

Looking to the future, WSET president T-Yan hopes that WSET will “no longer be necessary to help women ‘break into’ male dominated industries”, but instead become a community where women can “find role models, forge friendships and continue to inspire.”