Founded by the Women's Engineering Society in 2016, the WE50 awards are a UK event linked to International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) – the celebration of women in engineering that takes place on 23 June each year.
The 2023 Top 50 Women in Engineering Awards celebrate the women engineers who are engaged in safety and security and who #MakeSafetySeen. These amazing women work to keep us safe, wherever we are, whether at work or leisure, at home or online. Following in the footsteps of our first Secretary, Dame Caroline Haslett, who invented the three-pin safety plug to protect children from electric shocks, the 2023 WE50 winners will be women who are protecting the public through their work, often unseen and unknown.
Nominations are now closed
Could you be a WE50 winner?
Essential Criteria – all nominees must satisfy these:
A woman, aged 18 or older
Based in the UK - nominees do not have to be UK citizens
Not a previous WE50 winner
Can demonstrate the creation or improvement of a product or process
Desirable Criteria:
Acting as an advocate for other women inventors and innovators
Acting as an advocate for other women in STEM
Working or studying in engineering industries and allied sectors, engineering education, or engineering research
Achieving beyond what would normally be expected for career stage - nominations welcome at all career stages
Entries that focus solely on engineering or solely on supporting women will not do as well as those that demonstrate both. Inventions and innovations do not have to have been made in the past year. We regret that we cannot include nominations for anyone based outside of the UK, even if they are UK citizens, with the exception of women serving the armed forces.
Hints & tips on writing a great awards application
The Women's Engineering Society has an insightful guide compiled by our previous award judges on what makes a great winning entry.
Important WE50 dates
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