IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) Manga Stories
IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) brings its readers stories about Riko-chan, the girl who solved everyday issues through STEM. These stories are a result of the Manga Story contest organized by IEEE WIE and the IEEE New Initiative Committee (NIC), through a proposal supported by the IEEE Japan Council to bridge the gender gap and promote gender diversity.
For context, the gender gap in STEM researchers is outlined below, with the intersectionality of underrepresented groups further factoring into the gap:
Manga story contest
Through the conduit of these Manga stories, IEEE Women in Engineering intends to apprise young students, especially girls, of the importance of pursuing STEM subjects. WIE encourages teachers and parents to share these stories with the younger generation in an effort to foster an interest in STEM.
The Manga contest has its roots firmly planted in kindling a profound interest in STEM subjects amongst girls and to actively propel their aspirations. To make this a long-lasting program and increase its scope, WIE would welcome support from both men and women STEM enthusiasts and organizations whose visions are aligned.
To date, the contest received submissions from all over the world from both men and women.
2023 Winning Stories
- Riko-Chan and the Perfect Circuit by Laís Baptista
- Riko-Chan- Cybersecurity Engineer by Carolyn Sher-DeCusatis
- Riko-Chan – Aeronautical Engineer by Carolyn Sher-DeCusatis
- Life of Our Beautiful Earth by Maira Ratnarajah
- Motion Detected by Julia Griffin
- Riko-Chan: The Science Solver by Devidas Kulkarni
The catalyst effect of these highly inspirational stories will endure as IEEE Women in Engineering launches the 2024 Manga story contest.
There were 42 submissions from the following Regions:
- Region 1-6 (United States): 11 submissions.
- Region 7 (Canada: None
- Region 8 (Africa, Europe, Middle East): 5
- Region 9 (Latin America): 3
- Region 10 (Asia and Pacific): 20
- 3 submissions didn't disclose their Region.
Regions of the top 10 story submissions included:
- Region 1-6: 5
- Region 8: 1
- Region 9: 2
- Region 10: 2
