Women Make Us Better
We are dedicated to increasing the number of women in STEM careers worldwide. Join the conversation about women's empowerment. #WomenMakeUsBetter
Our Commitment
For this year's International Women in Engineering Day, which is held annually on June 23 by the Women’s Engineering Society in the UK with Patronage from UNESCO, we highlight the need for more women to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers by reflecting on the challenges women have historically faced seeking higher education in these areas and promoting paths to success for the next generation of female innovators.
Our #WomenMakeUsBetter video features Boeing engineers reading and reacting to the college rejection letters women received in the early years of the 20th century. While we’ve come a long way since that time, we believe there is still much more to be done to increase the number of women in engineering.
Video | Women Make Us Better
Our Engineers
Read what our current engineers are doing at Boeing.
Empowering Women at Boeing
Our commitment to empowering women within our company is part of our larger strategy to attract and retain the best, diverse talent across our enterprise. Within the company, woman innovators find a community of like-minded individuals through the Boeing Women in Leadership Association and mentorship opportunities, as well as through the company’s engagement in professional associations, including:
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
For more than three decades, our leaders have served on the Corporate Partnership Council. We’ve supported Tech Team Competition, the annual conference, as well as mentoring and networking events, among others. Today, more than 1,150 Boeing engineers are SWE members.
National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
In 2017, we were inspired by the achievements of the women in “Hidden Figures,” a motion picture that tells the true story of female African-American mathematicians who were invaluable to NASA’s space program in the early 1960s. We partnered with NSBE to be the presenting sponsor of a special “Hidden Figures” Mixer and Power Panel discussion series. Learn more.
Women in Aviation International (WAI)
We helped establish WAI in 1994 and continue to be involved as corporate affiliate and sponsor of the annual conference. Four Boeing trailblazers have been inducted into the WAI Pioneer Hall of Fame and we offer a variety of scholarships to encourage women to pursue careers in aviation.
Women of Color in STEM (WOC)
Since its inception in 1995, we’ve sponsored the WOC annual conference and Girls in STEM initiative, and participated in annual professional mentoring and K-12 outreach programs.
What We're Doing
Through a companywide commitment to programs aimed at attracting and retaining female talent, and with community investments designed to educate and inspire the next generation of women scientists and engineers, Boeing is taking steps to encourage women to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers.
In 2016, Boeing and the Boeing Charitable Trust partnered with more than 120 STEM organizations and contributed more than $18 million toward community initiatives that globally helped inspire an estimated 600,000 young women in STEM. Over the past five years, Boeing and the Boeing Charitable Trust have contributed more than $85 million toward community initiatives that have inspired an estimated 3.6 million young women in STEM around the world.
By the Numbers
Trailblazers of Boeing
Women have played an important role in the history of The Boeing Company, beginning the year the company was founded in 1916 when seamstress Rosie Farrar was hired by William Boeing to stitch together linen wings for the early B & W seaplanes. In 1918, Helen Holcombe joined Boeing as the first woman in the engineering department.
Attracted by the challenges of aviation and the magic of flight, the trailblazers — female pioneers, aviators, engineers and executives — worked hand in hand with thousands of other dedicated employees to help make Boeing what it is today. Here are some of their milestones.
The full inspiring stories of these aviation pioneers, including personal interviews and rare archival photographs, are featured in the book “Trailblazers: The Women of The Boeing Company” (2014) by Betsy Case. 76 pp. Boeing Press.
Featured stories
Believin' on a Jet Plane, to Test Cleaner Technologies
March 22, 2016 in Environment
Technology that can help produce cleaner, quieter aircraft gets its first flight on ecoDemonstrator testbed airplanes.
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The Art of Flight
February 18, 2016 in Technology
To help commemorate the company’s centennial, Boeing engineers design paper airplanes that can double as poster art.
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The Lightest Metal Ever
October 6, 2015 in Innovation, Technology
At 99.99 percent air, microlattice is light enough to balance on top of a dandelion, while its structure makes it strong.
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All Female Flight
May 27, 2015 in Commercial
From the flight deck to the boardroom, these women are paving the way for the next generation of leaders.
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Big Data For a Better Planet
March 10, 2015 in Innovation, Environment
Boeing and Saab made noise – and history – when they proved that the Small Diameter Bomb I, originally developed for use by aircraft, can be adapted for launch from a ground artillery system.
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A Pioneer for Women in Aerospace Retires from the Jet She Loves
September 15, 2014 in Defense
Boeing design and flight test engineer Nelda Lee reflects on becoming the first woman to record flying time in an F-15, inspiring a new generation of women in aerospace.
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Trailblazers: Honoring the Women of Boeing
March 26, 2014 in Community
Seven pioneering women at Boeing and its heritage companies gathered in Everett, Wash., to celebrate the release of a new book, Trailblazers: The Women of The Boeing Company.
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