Magazine | Issue 1 2023 Offering an internship Nadia knows about societal restrictions and how important it is to take control of your own life. “When I was 12 years old, I remember waiting for one of my brothers to fix something when my mother asked me why I was waiting. She said, you have two hands and a brain, so why not do it yourself? That made me think differently, and it changed me. Working on ideas for empowering female electrical engineers and having those ideas supported by my coach was a great opportunity.” Taking action is just as important as talking about challenges and success stories, and that’s why OMICRON Bahrain decided to offer a one-year paid internship. “Now we’re happy to have a female engineer. She started in January, and she’s the first female electrical engineer in Bahrain and a member of a formerly men-only team. Our focus is not simply giving her administrative tasks but involves bringing her on-site and giving her a chance to learn hands-on”, Ahmed explains. New plans have already begun “We’re already working on the fifth edition of OEW. We’ve gotten in touch with customers, people from conferences, and LinkedIn to search for influential speakers. Organizing an event like this requires a lot of preparation. It’s necessary to hear from inspiring women who know how to share their stories. Some of them have faced enormous challenges, but hearing their stories empowers other women. I hope those stories spread and are repeated in families and schools so more young women will become electrical engineers in the future”, Nadia concludes. «The idea for an event came up through the stories we shared with each other.» Ahmed El-Hamaky, Regional Manager, OMICRON “I’m a passionate and ambitious electrical engineer working in the exciting cybersecurity field. I want to positively impact the world around me and be a force of change for the better in everything I do. There’s always room for improvement, which is why I encourage different levels of leadership to revisit policies and working conditions to ensure we remove some barriers that obstruct equal and fair opportunities. I believe that I can represent, inspire, and mentor in OEM and similar venues. I hope to communicate and demonstrate examples of how inclusion and diversity in our field can positively impact the technical and personal aspects of working life. Always remember that you belong, you can do it, and you can be the change you want to see, and when it gets hard, keep going.” Eman Hammad, Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University OEW speaker 9
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