logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2018
17m 28s

Bosses, Babies and Breast Pumps

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Engineers showcase new technologies to help women return to work after maternity leave - but why is the engineering profession itself so male-dominated? Jane Wakefield attends a breast pump hackathon at MIT, speaking to businesses venture capitalists and campaigners such as Catherine D'Ignazio from Make The Breast Pump Not Suck. Jane also hears from engineers Emma Booth of Black & Veatch and Isobel Byrne Hill of ARUP about their experiences of returning to a very male-dominated industry after the birth of their own children, and the importance of networks such as The Women's Engineering Society. This programme was first broadcast on 19 July 2018.

(Picture: Woman holds up smart breast pumps; Credit: Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images)

Up next
Today
The cocoa conundrum
<p>Can Europe be weaned off cheap chocolate? EU efforts to block cocoa linked to deforestation were due to come into force at the end of this year – but have faced multiple delays. Another vote is due to take place soon. Some parties are pushing for further delay and modification ... Show More
20m 42s
Yesterday
Is this the end for South East Asia's scam centres?
<p>It’s one of the biggest human trafficking operations of modern times. Scam centres across South East Asia have been making hundreds of billions of dollars annually, it’s estimated, conning people into fake crypto-currency investment schemes. </p><p>But now these centres could ... Show More
18m 29s
Nov 24
Monetising Machu Picchu
<p>Peru is home to Machu Picchu - the ancient Inca city in the Andes mountains. </p><p>It's one of the seven wonders of the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The popular tourist destination attracts millions of visitors, making it very lucrative for the government, local a ... Show More
17m 38s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2013
Breast feeding
Edith Bowman presents the weekly show about pregnancy and childbirth. Colin Murray is here in spirit, helping deliver a baby from a labour simulator, controlled by Bump Club's Beverley Turner.We also discuss whether women are under too much pressure to breastfeed. Also, why do so ... Show More
43m 23s
Dec 2020
Welcome Back to Remote Work, New Moms
Coming back to work after parental leave, after having a baby during a pandemic, when you and your colleagues are still working remotely — is complicated. Our colleague describes how she’s approaching remote reentry, and we turn to an expert on all things career and motherhood fo ... Show More
41m 5s
Mar 2022
Why Tech Needs Women to Change the World
<p>Neveen Awad, the daughter of an engineer, learned early in life “how fun it was to make machines do something.” As the only computer science major in her graduating class at college and later a PhD, she eventually realized that she did not want to spend her days coding. Awad b ... Show More
20m 18s
Jun 2023
Dame Stephanie Shirley: 'Men Told Me There Was No Market For Software Houses. We Proved Them Wrong.'
<p><em>The pioneering 89-year-old entrepreneur shares her life story as a child refugee who fled Nazi Germany and created a $3 billion technology company.&nbsp;</em></p><br><p><strong>Background</strong>:&nbsp;</p><br><p>At BoF VOICES 2022,&nbsp;the pioneering 89-year-old entrepr ... Show More
17m 22s
Oct 2020
Babies at Work
<p>We talk to two very different small businesses about their Babies at Work programs, where new parents can have their infants with them at the office. With COVID sending so many office workers home—and pushing women out of the workforce altogether—acknowledging employees&apos; ... Show More
24m 28s
Apr 2019
The Upside of Working Motherhood
There are a lot of reasons women should feel optimistic about having both a career and children. Two professors tell us about the takeaways from their research on working motherhood and from their experience raising three kids each. They give advice about managing expectations, t ... Show More
47m 19s
Dec 2019
When You Work in a Male-Dominated Industry
For women in male-dominated fields like engineering, there are lots of stressors, both subtle and overt. As a result, many end up leaving the field altogether. But the ones who stay develop strategies to survive and to even challenge the status quo. Guests: Jessica Townsend, Ana, ... Show More
56m 21s
Oct 2020
How Mothers WFH Are Negotiating What’s Normal
We continue tracking the ways the pandemic is impacting women’s lives and careers, and discuss how to not only manage the challenges but also shape a more equitable future. Guests: Kathleen McGinn and Katherine Goldstein. 
51m 1s
Jul 2020
#EmpoweringWomen2020 Preview & Women in Manufacturing Alabama
<p>This week, Charli and Bethany talk all about #EmpoweringWomen2020 - a virtual conference on August 1st for women in industry organized by Empowering Brands. They discuss in detail the event including a preview of the program, thanking the sponsors, and discussing the awards ga ... Show More
1h 4m
May 2016
Engineers: Marita Cheng and Nisrine Chartouny
When Australian mechanical engineer Marita Cheng got to university, she was shocked to discover that only five out of 50 students on her course were female. She responded by starting Robogals - an organisation that goes into schools and teaches robotics to girls as a way of encou ... Show More
26m 39s