About ICWES

The International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists (ICWES)

The International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists (ICWES) is a premier global event that has united women professionals, researchers, and experts in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) since 1964. Held every three to four years, these conferences serve as a catalyst for fostering international goodwill, promoting the exchange of innovative ideas, and facilitating global collaboration to empower women and girls in technical fields.

Since 2002, ICWES has been managed by the International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists (INWES), a global network established with the support of UNESCO during the 12th ICWES conference.

Chronological History of ICWES Conferences

Impact and Evolution

The inaugural 1964 conference marked the birth of a formalized, transnational movement to support women in technical fields. While organizers initially anticipated 300 participants, the event drew over 500 attendees from 35+ countries, signaling a profound global demand for representation.

Today, ICWES has evolved into a multi-dimensional platform. It functions simultaneously as:

  • A Research Stage: Presenting cutting-edge advancements in fields ranging from climate-smart agriculture to Artificial Intelligence.

  • An Advocacy Forum: Addressing critical social barriers such as gender disparities and unconscious bias.

  • A Policy Incubator: Developing the reforms necessary to build an inclusive and equitable global workforce.

Upcoming Event: ICWES 20 is scheduled for August 4–7, 2026, at the Clark Freeport & Economic Zone, Pampanga, Philippines.

Edition Year Location Key Highlights & Hosts
ICWES 11964New York City, USAHosted by the Society of Women Engineers (SWE); coincided with the World's Fair.
ICWES 21967Cambridge, EnglandHosted by the Women's Engineering Society of Great Britain.
ICWES 31971Turin, Italy
ICWES 41975Krakow, Poland
ICWES 51978Rouen, France
ICWES 61981Bombay, India
ICWES 71984Washington, D.C., USAHosted by the Society of Women Engineers (SWE).
ICWES 81987/88Abidjan, Ivory CoastRecorded in various sources as either 1987 or 1988.
ICWES 91991Warwick, England
ICWES 101996Budapest, Hungary
ICWES 111999Chiba/Tokyo, Japan
ICWES 122002Ottawa, CanadaHistoric Milestone: Unanimous vote to establish INWES.
ICWES 132005Seoul, South Korea
ICWES 142008Lille, France
ICWES 152011Adelaide, Australia
ICWES 162014Los Angeles, USA
ICWES 172017New Delhi, India
ICWES 182021Virtual / Coventry, UKFirst fully virtual conference; hosted by the University of Warwick.
ICWES 192023Auckland, New ZealandHybrid format hosted by AWIS and Engineering New Zealand.
ICWES 202026Pampanga, PhilippinesTheme: "Global Women in STEM: Building HerStory of an Inclusive World"

Leadership History and Executive Team

The following table documents the leadership of INWES since its formalization, highlighting the diverse international representation within its executive board.

Period President (Org, Country) Secretary General Treasurer
2002–2005 Monique Frize
(Pathmaker’s Program, Canada)		 Claire Deschenes (AFFESTIM, Canada) Gail Mattson (SWE, USA)
2005–2008 Monique Frize
(Pathmaker’s Program, Canada)		 Claire Deschenes (AFFESTIM, Canada) Gail Mattson (SWE, USA)
2008–2011 Sue Bird
(WES, UK)		 Nadia Ghazzali (AFFESTIM, Canada) Gail Mattson (SWE, USA)
2011–2014 Kong-Joo Lee
(KWSE, S. Korea)		 Liette Vasseur / Jung Sun Kim Joan Graf (SWE, USA)
2014–2017 Kong-Joo Lee
(Individual, S. Korea)		 Margaret Ajibode (WES, UK) Joan Graf (SWE, USA)
2018–2020 Gail Mattson
(AAAS/Individual, USA)		 Caroline Thoruwa (AWSE, Kenya) Sylvia Kegel (DIB, Germany)
2021–2023 Jung Sun Kim
(Dongseo Univ, S. Korea)		 Mary Mwangi (AWSE, Kenya) Sylvia Kegel (DIB, Germany)
2024–2026 Sarah Peers
(NMITE, UK)		 Kadiata Ba (AFFESTIM, Canada) Sylvia Kegel (DIB, Germany)

Dr. Sarah Peers

INWES President

As Head of Academic Skills at New Model Institute for Technology & Engineering (NMITE) a new university in England with a new approach to engineering education, Sarah leads on the mathematics pedagogy and the so-called soft skills for NMITE’s degree programmes. She also drives NMITE’s Access and Participation Plan for diversity and inclusion, for gender, neurodiversity, social mobility.

Sarah’s degrees are largely mathematical followed by a mechanical engineering PhD in the application of AI and reliability tools to the maintenance of structures. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA), a Fellow of the Institute of Innovation & Knowledge Exchange (IKE) and Advisor to the IKE’s STEM Foundation. She has expertise in skills strategy and policy development for innovation, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and the arts) education, and she was integral to the development of Uruguay’s national “STEM Plan” for gender in schools.

Sarah has over 30 years of engineering education experience at multiple levels, tempered with consultancy for industry. She has championed gender equality in STEM since 1992 and has been active in INWES for 10 years. She believes in global collaboration to improve the lives of women and men.