Mayssa Mannai
IEEE WIE National Engineering School of Monastir (ENIM)
Affinity Group Chair and Webmaster

How did you first get involved in IEEE Women in Engineering?
I joined IEEE WIE in 2017 when I participated in the celebration of the International Women’s Day and it was my first involvement, my first step to being a part of this community.

Why did you decide to become a WIE member?
I thought that as a female engineering student, it was necessary to be a part of this community, to work with these inspirational members  in order to ensure the WIE mission and vision and to be a great WIE member that have a distinguishing contribution for IEEE Women in Engineering.

What do you wish other people knew about IEEE WIE?

IEEE WIE provides many opportunities to motivate women to attend technical conferences not only to enhance networking, gain confidence in herself and get a career progress, but also to promote their skills, to stay connected with industry trends. IEEE WIE strives to put women and men in the same way to use their innovations for the advancement of humanity, and you can discover a lot about IEEE WIE when you’re a member .

What is it like to be an IEEE WIE Volunteer, and what do you enjoy about it? 

WIE volunteering, didn’t only touch my heart, but also my soul. It’s like there was a missing part of me and volunteering filled it with joy and beauty. How can’t helping each other be that beautiful? People are busy with their “perfect” lives nowadays, while others are struggling to live and it’s our duty to lend a hand. Why? Simply because we’re HUMANS and as human beings, we have to stick together men and women in order to overcome hard times and bad parts of life. Moreover, when you believe in IEEE WIE your involvement exceeds everything and you feel that you are representing all women engineers which is a huge responsibility that needs great and continuous contributions to benefit humanity.

What I enjoyed most about volunteering as a WIE member, is that we had the chance to show children, especially girls, what engineering is like. Inspiring kids and spreading positivity all over them isn’t only a good thing for them, but for us as well”, because the feeling we get when we see that spark in their eyes while they are paying attention to the robots we bring and to the lessons we teach, tells us  that “The future is engineering, not only about men, but women as well”, and that really touches the soul.

Why do you feel it is important for women to enter into the field of engineering?

Engineering needs women because solving problems needs creativity, and creativity demands a diversity of viewpoints. That’s why I feel that a woman’s contribution can change a lot because it will be building a touch of creativity and inspiration.