Building Belonging: UNSW’s Women in Engineering O-Week Welcome Event

On Thursday 12 February, incoming women, non-binary and gender diverse students came together for the Women in Engineering O-Week Welcome Event. It attracted over 100 first year students, supporting them to begin their university journeys with a strong sense of connection and belonging.

The event enabled new students to network with their peers, faculty staff and representatives from student societies including the Women in Engineering  Society (WIESoc), Women in Technology Society (WITSoc), Women in Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications (TWEET), Robogals and the Women in Mechatronics branch of the Robotics and Mechatronics Society (RAMSoc). Designed to create a supportive environment from day one, the morning focused on helping students build friendships and find their community within engineering.

As an icebreaker, students coloured affirmation cards and reflected on what they hope to gain from university. The simple activity sparked meaningful conversations about goals and encouraged students to connext in a relaxed, welcoming space.

For many students, the event was a powerful first step.

One attendee said it was “really cool to meet other women in engineering and to make friends in a safe and happy environment.”

Another shared that, coming from a school with few girls in STEM, the event helped her find “my support, my network, my friendships.” Others appreciated meeting people with shared passions, saying it was “so nice meeting people who have the same interest as me and branch out and connect a bit more.”

By the end of the event, nerves had eased and new friendships had formed, laying the foundation for a strong sense of belonging to the engineering community at UNSW.