{{Short description|United Kingdom non-profit organization}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{more citations needed|date=December 2014}} {{Infobox organization | name = WISE Campaign | full_name = Women into Science and Engineering Campaign | logo = | logo_alt = | logo_caption = | abbreviation = WISE | formation = 17 January 1984 | type = Registered charity | purpose = To | headquarters = Leeds College of Building | location = Leeds, United Kingdom | founder = Baroness Platt of Writtle, Engineering Council, Equal Opportunities Commission | key_people = Trudy Norris-Grey (Chair)<br>Anne-Marie Imafidon (CEO) | website = {{URL|https://www.wisecampaign.org.uk/}} }} The '''WISE Campaign''' (Women into Science and Engineering) is a United Kingdom-based organization that encourages women and girls to value and pursue science, technology, engineering and maths-related courses in school or college and to move on into related careers and progress. Its mission statement aims to facilitate understanding of these disciplines among women and girls and the opportunities which they present at a professional level. It is operated by UKRC trading as WISE (company number 07533934).<ref name=WISEabout>[http://www.wisecampaign.org.uk/about-us WISE website] About us</ref>

==Formation== The campaign began on 17 January 1984,<ref>{{cite web|title=History of WISE|url=http://www.wisecampaign.org.uk/about-us/30-years/history|accessdate=25 February 2015|archive-date=5 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305040735/http://www.wisecampaign.org.uk/about-us/30-years/history|url-status=dead}}</ref> headed by The Baroness Platt of Writtle, a qualified mechanical engineer, at which time women made up 7% of graduate engineers and 3% of professional engineers in the UK. It was a collaboration between the Engineering Council and the Equal Opportunities Commission, originally viewed as a one-year campaign "Women into Science and Engineering" ''WISE'84''.<ref name=NS1984>Georgina Ferry, ''New Scientist'' 12 January 1984 pp 10&ndash;11 "WISE Campaign for Women Engineers"</ref><ref name=Times1984>''The Times'', Wednesday, 18 January 1984 p 3 "More women urged to work in science"</ref>

==Activities== One of WISE's main objectives is to listen to students and women qualified or working in these sectors, and understand and voice their opinions to academic institutions, policy-makers and employers. It then works creatively with delivery agencies and others, offering models, tools and approaches to support them in challenging traditional approaches, so as to demonstrate equitable involvement. WISE combats gender stereotypes to get more girls and women involved in careers where female participation was once considered near impossible.

In 1986, as part of her at WISE,Thames Polytechnic lecturer, Pamela Morton, conducted research that found that the number of women enrolling in Computer Science degrees had halved during the previous decade and was continuing to decline, despite the WISE Campaign. She approached the IT Skills Agency with a view to organising a campaign to increase the number of women entering the IT industry. These efforts contributed to the development of the PITCOM's 1989 Women in IT Campaign.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Virgo |first=Philip |last2=Beech |first2=Carol |last3=Pearce |first3=Pat |date=1991 |editor-last=Lovegrove |editor-first=Gillian |editor2-last=Segal |editor2-first=Barbara |title=The Women into Information Technology (WIT) Campaign |url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4471-3875-4_42 |journal=Women into Computing |language=en |location=London |publisher=Springer |pages=276–285 |doi=10.1007/978-1-4471-3875-4_42 |isbn=978-1-4471-3875-4|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

WISE operates throughout the UK, with specialist committees in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Volunteers, from industry and relevant organisations, attend the various WISE committee meetings, and undertake projects with WISE.

In 2011 the UKRC - an organisation specialising in gender equality in science, engineering and technology - became part of WISE. Trudy Norris-Grey, the Chair of UKRC since 2007 then became Chair of WISE.<ref name=WISEBoard>[http://www.wisecampaign.org.uk/about-us/wise-board-team WISE website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150428140434/http://www.wisecampaign.org.uk/about-us/wise-board-team |date=28 April 2015 }} Board and Team</ref> WISE counts The Princess Royal, Dame Julia Higgins, Kate Bellingham and Joanna Kennedy as its patrons. The Founding Chair and Patron The Baroness Platt of Writtle died on 1 February 2015, aged 91.<ref>{{cite web|title=Obituary: Baroness Platt of Writtle|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/baroness-platt-of-writtle-aeronautical-engineer-who-went-on-to-the-house-of-lords-and-chaired-the-equal-opportunities-commission-10034494.html|accessdate=25 February 2015}}</ref>

==Young Professionals' Board==

The WISE Campaign has an advisory Board to the main Board called the WISE Young Professionals' Board,<ref name="WYPB">[https://www.wisecampaign.org.uk/young-professionals-board/] WISE Young Professionals' Board</ref> formerly the WISE Young Women's Board, with a mandate to act as a sounding board to the WISE Campaign and promote the visibility of young women in STEM.

Notable members and former members include: * Jess Wade was a Young Professionals' Board member 2015-2018 and is a campaigner for Women in STEM and promoting early career researchers.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}

==Structure== It is headquartered at Leeds College of Building, though has been based at the UKRC (UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology) in Bradford.

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{Official website|https://www.wisecampaign.org.uk}} of WISE Campaign * [https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmbis/342/342we31.htm UK Parliament] Business, Innovation and Skills Committee: Written evidence submitted by the Women into Science and Engineering (WISE) Campaign 11 Oct 2012 * [https://www.ingenia.org.uk/Ingenia/Articles/40394caa-a85d-48e2-80e4-48f655ce8e8d ''Ingenia'' March 2010, issue 42 pp 48&ndash;50]{{Dead link|date=February 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }} "Engaging girls in engineering"

{{DEFAULTSORT:WISE Campaign}} Category:1984 establishments in the United Kingdom Category:Educational organisations based in the United Kingdom Category:Organisations based in Bradford Category:Organisations based in Leeds Category:Scientific organizations established in 1984 Category:Organizations for women in science and technology Category:Science and technology in West Yorkshire Category:Women in the United Kingdom Category:Women in engineering Category:Women scientists