Women in Mechanical Engineering: A case study of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto in the last 20 years

Abstract

Mechanical Engineering is often considered a course for men, however, during the past few years, the number of women enrolling and concluding the course is increasing, particularly in Portugal and at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP). The present study aims to analyse the female students that finished the Mechanical Engineering course at FEUP from 2001 to 2020, the motives behind their choice of the course and how being a woman has influenced, in their understanding, their path in this field.