When people ask about my career in engineering, they often point to milestones, degrees earned, research led, leadership roles held, awards received. While I am deeply grateful for those achievements, they are not the part of my story that matters most.
What matters most is why I chose to keep going. I did not enter engineering because it was easy, predictable, or comfortable. I entered because I was curious. Because I loved solving problems. Because I believed perhaps a little idealistically at the time, that ability should be the only requirement for opportunity. But like many women in STEM, I quickly learned that competence alone does not shield you from doubt, bias, or isolation.
There were rooms where I was the only woman. Moments when my voice felt smaller than it should have. Times when I questioned whether I truly belonged. Not because I lacked capability but because environments do not always reflect to women that they are seen, valued, and expected. And yet, I stayed.
Success changes meaning over time
Early in my career, success meant survival, proving myself and keeping up refusing to be underestimated. Later, success became growth, leading projects, publishing research and building collaborations. But somewhere along the way, success transformed again. It became responsibility.
Because once you witness how many talented women hesitate, withdraw, or walk away, not from lack of brilliance, but from lack of confidence, support, or belonging or you cannot unsee it. And once you have navigated barriers yourself, you begin to understand a deeper truth that progress is hollow if you climb alone.
Why representation became personal
Throughout my journey, I met extraordinary young women:
Students who whispered, “I’m not sure I’m smart enough.”,
Graduates who admitted, “I’ve never seen someone like me in this field.”,
Early-career professionals who confessed, “I feel like an imposter every day.”
Their words stayed with me because I recognised them. I had felt them too. And I realised that visibility whether we actively seek it or not, carries power. Not as a symbol of perfection, but as proof of possibility. If a student could look at my path and think, “Someone like me can do this,” then my career held meaning far beyond publications and titles.
Turning achievement into access
This belief reshaped how I approached my work. I became deeply committed to creating pathways for women and under-represented students, not only academically, but psychologically. Because entry into STEM is not defined by grades alone. It is shaped by courage, identity, belonging, and confidence.
Through mentoring, outreach, and initiatives designed to support women, I have witnessed transformations that no award could ever rival, such as “A hesitant student becoming a confident engineer”, “A quiet voice emerging as a leader”, “A first-generation university student mentoring others” and women who once doubted themselves now inspiring the next generation. These moments remain my greatest achievements.
The global sisterhood of STEM
One of the most powerful aspects of this journey has been connecting with women across cultures, countries, and continents. Despite differences in geography and background, the themes are strikingly universal. For example, the fight to be taken seriously, the pressure to be flawless, the balancing of expectations, the quiet battle with self-doubt and the determination to persist.
But so too are the strengths: resilience, empathy, adaptability, creativity and courage. I have seen women succeed in environments far more challenging than my own, often with fewer resources and greater obstacles. Their determination is not only inspiring, but it is humbling.
Confidence: the invisible barrier
If there is one barrier that continues to concern me, it is not ability. Women have repeatedly demonstrated excellence in STEM. It is confidence. Too many brilliant women wait to feel “ready,” “qualified enough,” or “certain.” Meanwhile, opportunities pass. To every woman navigating this internal negotiation, I offer a lesson I learned slowly where confidence rarely arrives before action. Confidence grows because of action. You do not need to feel fearless to move forward. You only need to be willing.
What I tell my students
To my female students, I say: “You belong here, not because you must be exceptional, but because you are capable. Engineering is not a male domain. Innovation is not gendered.
Leadership is not predetermined. Your perspective is not an addition to STEM.
It is essential to STEM.”
International Women’s Day: a reflection
International Women’s Day is, for me, both celebration and reflection.
Celebration of how far women have come. Reflection on how far we still must go. But above all, it is a reminder that progress is never automatic. It is built deliberately by those willing to challenge norms, open doors, and lift others.
My personal commitment
If my career has taught me anything, it is this: success is not measured only by how high you rise, but by how many others rise because you did. I remain committed to:
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Encouraging women to pursue engineering without hesitation
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Mentoring those who question their own potential
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Challenging systems that limit participation
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Creating environments where women feel seen and valued
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Demonstrating that women in STEM are not the future but they are the present
To women everywhere
To every woman considering engineering. To every student questioning her capability.
To every professional navigating unseen challenges. Your ambition is valid. Your voice is needed. Your place is not conditional. And if you ever doubt whether you belong, remember: STEM is not complete without you.
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Professor Olivia Mirza is an engineer, educator, and academic leader dedicated to advancing equity, diversity, and opportunity in STEM. With over twenty years of experience across higher education, research, and industry engagement, she is widely recognised for her leadership, mentorship, and sustained advocacy for women and under-represented students.
Her contributions have been acknowledged through multiple prestigious honours, including the 2024 IEOM Distinguished Academic Leadership Award, 2025 two Gold Stevie® Awards for Women in Business (Most Innovative Women of the Year and Social Impact, Women Helping Women), the 2025 QS Reimagine Education Award for Aspire Program supporting Indigenous in Engineering, and the UNSW Judy Raper Award for Woman in Leadership, which celebrates outstanding leadership and commitment to advancing women in engineering. She also won the 2026 Citizen of the Year for Hill Shire Council for the work in STEM for females.
Professor Mirza is deeply passionate about building confidence, promoting belonging, and creating transformative pathways that empower the next generation particularly women to thrive in engineering and technology. She believes that true success is measured not only by personal achievement, but by the opportunities created and the lives positively influenced along the way.