The campaigner for equality
Abigail's story
"When I did my Physics A level there were few girls in the class, and it was the same when I started at my degree. But I realised that it wasn’t just my experience, it’s a problem in engineering as a whole (89% of engineers are male). So, I decided to set up the Equality in Engineering group.
"I didn’t just want to make women feel more comfortable in an engineering environment. I also wanted to address the issue of diversity. A lack of diversity leads to a lack of creativity in problem solving. You really need a variety of people who can look at things differently.
If you come to Sussex be proactive. There’s no limit to what you can achieve and the Uni is really supportive.” Abigail Berhane
President and Founder of Equality in Engineering
"The group has created a network of female engineers, and we’re hoping to do outreach work in local schools. Setting up Equality in Engineering has taught me a lot – particularly leadership and management skills. We’ve run Black History Month events and invited industry representatives to speak. It’s been great to grab their attention.
"If you come to Sussex be proactive. There’s no limit to what you can achieve and the Uni is really supportive."