Hello, I’m Lauren — the Engineering Team Lead here at Hexiosec. For International Women in Engineering Day , I wanted to share a few thoughts on what it’s like being the only woman on our engineering team.
On Being a Unicorn
I often liken being a female engineer to being a unicorn — a mythical creature. Sometimes I feel like an oddity, a rarity. There’s plenty of discussion around encouraging women in STEM and bridging the diversity gap. And while I am fortunate that 25% of my workplace is female, I still often find myself the only woman in the room – especially when leading a team of men.
As a Scot, the unicorn analogy makes me smile. After all, it’s our national animal — so it feels oddly fitting that both I, and my country, identify with something that supposedly doesn’t exist. Meanwhile, I work for a company based in England — an irony I quite enjoy.
The Numbers That Stick
It’s no secret that engineering — and STEM more broadly — still struggles with diversity. I remember seeing a poster at university that said only 8% of engineers were women (this was in 2011), and that number stuck with me.
By May 2025, it had risen to 16%1 — a reassuring trajectory, for sure, but there is still a long way to go for equality.
I studied Electronic and Software Engineering. The computer science side had maybe 30% women, but in electronics, I was one of just a handful. Joining the workplace didn’t feel much different. In interviews, I often found myself wondering whether I was truly good enough or if I was just there to tick a diversity box.
From Toast to Tests
Growing up, I struggled with English classes — but I loved Maths. It made sense. It was black and white, logical. In my final year of secondary school, I took a programming class and fell in love with coding. The feeling of typing out some commands, compiling it, and watching the computer do exactly what I asked? That’s the dopamine rush I’ve been chasing ever since.
I’ve always loved problem-solving, and that logical mindset naturally led me to software engineering. In fact, you could say I started debugging early — as a toddler, I tested whether our VHS player could play my toast. (Spoiler: it couldn’t.)
We Need More Curiosity
I believe the only way we’ll see more women in engineering is if we encourage curiosity from an early age. I want every child to feel the excitement I feel when a failing test finally turns green.
Of course, engineering won’t be everyone’s dream — but every young person deserves the chance to discover what lights them up, without being discouraged or boxed in by stereotypes.
The Mythical in the Room
It must be comforting to walk into a room and see people who look like you — to have that instant sense of belonging. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some incredible female engineers, but more often than not, I’m surrounded by men. I’m reminded of it every time someone says,
“All right, gents… (long pause, awkward glance) … and lady.”
I wouldn’t change the job I have or the field I work in for anything. I just wish it didn’t feel quite so mythical.
We need more unicorns.
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