For many years, engineering was portrayed — and perceived — as a male profession. A field of calculations, concrete and structures, where, by tradition and convention, women were few and far between, and their talent often undervalued.
Today, thankfully, that perception is changing. But there’s still work to be done.
At the company where I’ve been working for the past year and a half, I’ve had the opportunity to closely follow the work of several female engineers — professionals who lead construction projects, manage teams, ensure compliance with legal and technical requirements, and oversee after-sales service and maintenance.
They’re involved in different phases of the projects, but share the same approach: impeccable technical rigour, deep expertise, and a remarkable ability to adapt to the most demanding environments.
Watching these women at work is like attending a masterclass in engineering — and in character. They lead teams, meet tight deadlines, thrive in traditionally challenging settings, and respond with a confidence built, day by day, through study, hands-on experience and courage.
This isn’t just about representation. It’s about organisational intelligence. Overlooking female talent means wasting vital skills for the future of the sector: systemic thinking, empathy, attention to detail, and relational leadership.
Modern engineering needs all of that — and it needs them. Promoting equality in engineering isn’t just a numbers game. It’s a matter of effectiveness and long-term sustainability. More diverse teams tend to make better decisions, anticipate risks more accurately, and find more balanced, robust solutions.
The engineering of the future will, inevitably, be more inclusive — because the sector needs it to be in order to evolve.
At MAP Group, we are lucky and proud to count on exceptional professionals who challenge outdated norms and, quite literally, build a stronger future. Our role, as an organisation, is to ensure that their talent is recognised, valued and continuously nurtured.
Not because they are women. But because they are, quite simply, outstanding at what they do.
On this International Women in Engineering Day, I want to pay heartfelt tribute to all the women engineers who work with us — and to the many others across Portugal and around the world who continue to shape the sector with intelligence, integrity and ambition.
Engineering has everything to gain from being more inclusive, more diverse — and therefore, stronger.
It’s important to remember that recognising merit isn’t a symbolic gesture. It’s an organisational duty.
And giving visibility to female talent isn’t about gender. It’s about fairness — and wisdom.
The future is built with talent. And talent has no gender.
Adriana Coutinho, Marketing and Communications Director at MAP Group
Read the full article on the role of Women in Engineering, published in Vida Imobiliária.
