The term engineering is derived from the word engineer, which itself dates back to 1390 when an “engine´er” (one who operates an engine) referred to “a constructor of military engines.” In the 1500s, specialist workers started using mathematics and physics to design and construct new military fortifications and war machines. It was during the late 1800s when inventors started being identified as engineers, and the engineering profession began to divide into specialist disciplines.

Linked to defence and military ordinance in its origin, engineering is the most male-dominated field in STEM areas (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Although there is no doubt about male dominance in engineering, there are exceptions, such as the biomedical, chemical, and environmental engineering fields, where women may make up close to half of the students. Nevertheless, it has been pointed out that chemical and environmental specialisations with higher percentages of females often account for a very small percentage of the overall number of engineering degrees awarded, as the traditional disciplines (such as mechanical engineering) still make up the vast majority.

The gender imbalance in university-level engineering programs is clear. For instance, at the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, only 30.9% of first-year students in Engineering and Architecture degrees in the 2024/2025 academic year were women. One contributing factor to this disparity may be the lack of visible female role models, which appears to play a crucial role in encouraging schoolgirls to pursue careers in STEM fields. In fact, some authors have found that girls with a female maths teacher are significantly more likely to choose maths as an advanced subject than girls taught by a male teacher. A corresponding same-sex teacher effect in maths for boys has not been found.

There is no doubt that it is complex to analyse the motivating power of many educational aspects for the choice of a degree in Engineering, especially because the new generations live in a changing society that is highly conditioned by the information they receive from technological media.

Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate the motivation/opinion of students currently studying Engineering degrees at the Engineering Schools of Bilbao and Vitoria-Gasteiz within the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU. Specifically, three degrees have been selected for the study: Industrial Organisation Engineering, Environmental Engineering and Industrial Chemical Engineering.

The methodology applied included the preparation of a brief survey divided into four blocks:
1- Perception of gender equality;
2- Influence of the environment and motivation;
3- Perception in STEM areas and
4- Current perception and educational framework.

This information will make it possible to determine whether the choice of the specific engineering degree in the cases studied has had some driving factor, which could serve as a basis for progressively eliminating gender stereotypes about engineering degrees.

Keywords: Engineering, gender inequality, student motivation.