The Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) is recognising the achievements of women across the global fire engineering profession through a week-long campaign marking International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) 2026.
Running from 21–28 June 2026, the initiative celebrates the expertise, leadership and innovation of women working across the fire safety sector while highlighting their vital contribution to creating safer buildings, stronger communities and more resilient infrastructure worldwide.
For Africa’s rapidly expanding construction and infrastructure sectors, promoting greater diversity in fire engineering is becoming increasingly important as countries strengthen fire safety regulations, invest in resilient buildings and develop the next generation of engineering professionals.
Celebrating Engineering Excellence
International Women in Engineering Day, observed annually on 23 June, recognises the achievements of women engineers across all disciplines.
The 2026 theme, Engineering Intelligence, highlights the technical expertise, professional judgement and leadership women bring to engineering, innovation and problem-solving across industries.
As part of its campaign, the IFE will showcase inspiring stories from female members working across different countries, career stages and specialist areas of fire engineering. These profiles will demonstrate how women are advancing fire safety, raising professional standards and mentoring future generations of engineers.
Supporting Diversity in Fire Safety
The IFE says the campaign reflects its ongoing commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion within the global fire engineering profession.
With more than 15,000 members worldwide, the Institution continues to support professionals through technical knowledge sharing, professional recognition, networking opportunities and continuous learning.
Women from several countries—including South Africa, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States—will feature throughout the campaign, highlighting the global nature of the profession and the growing role women play in shaping modern fire engineering.
For Africa, where urbanisation and infrastructure development continue at pace, increasing female participation in engineering disciplines such as fire safety is essential to building a skilled and diverse workforce capable of addressing future safety challenges.
Building Strong Professional Networks
The campaign also highlights the value of the IFE Women’s Networking Group, which provides a supportive platform for women working across the fire sector to connect, exchange knowledge, develop professionally and inspire others entering the profession.
Professional networking initiatives such as these play an important role in improving career development, strengthening leadership capacity and encouraging more young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Across Africa, similar initiatives are helping to increase female representation in engineering professions while supporting national development goals focused on skills development, innovation and inclusive economic growth.
Inspiring the Next Generation
As governments and industries invest in safer buildings, resilient infrastructure and sustainable urban development, the demand for qualified fire engineering professionals continues to grow.
By recognising the achievements of women already making an impact in the profession, the IFE hopes to inspire more young women to pursue careers in fire engineering and contribute to improving fire safety standards around the world.
The campaign reinforces the message that diversity, technical excellence and professional collaboration are essential for advancing fire engineering and creating safer communities across Africa and beyond.
