Khaw hopes to see more female engineers in HDB

SINGAPORE: National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan hopes to see more female engineers in the public housing sector.

He said in his latest blog entry, "Lady Engineers in HDB" on Saturday that the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has done a good job in attracting female engineers.

He said that during a recent site visit, he was pleasantly surprised to see that six of the engineers in a team of 10 were women.

Mr Khaw said these women told him that they were drawn by the wide variety of opportunities and the sense of fulfilment that HDB offers.

They saw how they could apply their skills to many areas of HDB towns, ranging from developing and managing infrastructure and development projects to studying traffic impact, as well as challenging projects such as The Pinnacle@Duxton and Punggol Waterway.

Mr Khaw said HDB’s female engineers, who get equal opportunities as their male colleagues, oversee the development of a town from conception to completion and derive a great sense of satisfaction when they saw residents enjoying the fruits of their labour.

He said he’s proud of them for having earned the respect of the contractors and hopes their stories will inspire more women to join engineering.

Mr Khaw shared his thoughts ahead of the inaugural Professional Engagement and Knowledge (PEAK) Forum organised by HDB on 17 and 18 October.

— CNA/ck