Overcoming Challenges for Women in Male-Dominated Industries

Yasmina Khelifi is a French project manager with 3 PMI certifications. She has been working in an international environment for more than 20 years. Yasmina can speak 6 languages and has an MSc in Mobile Telecommunications. She is a passionate PMI volunteer. Yasmina's new co-authored book 'The Volunteering Journey to Project Leadership' (CRC Press). is now available. Connect with her to continue the conversation.

  Career Development   Organizational Culture  

A recent report from UNESCO shows that women made up a third (33%) of researchers in 2018 and have achieved parity when it comes to their numbers in life sciences in many countries. But women make up just 28% of graduates in engineering and 40% of those in computer sciences—skills vital for the jobs of the future, the report added. Female workers also account for just 22% of people working in artificial intelligence (AI) worldwide, although there are regional differences according to the report.

When I look at these statistics, it reminds me of my own experiences. When I was in preparatory classes for French engineering schools, I was one of 10 women out of 40 students. Since then, it has progressed slowly despite different initiatives.

Since 2017, French corporate boards have been required to ensure that 40% of people are from each gender. Starting in 2019, there was a new law from the Labour ministry with an index of 100 points to measure the pay gap between women and men. There are also corporate programs for young graduates and mid-managers. We saw more and more women featured in social media, helping to create role models in male-dominated jobs and show that it is possible to succeed.

Having examples is a way to attract more women, and it is working at the entry level.

PMI Sets an Example
The PMI Germany Chapter set up a new initiative in 2021:…

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