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The I.E.T. should just stick to engineering and science. 

You disagree with the Foothold program of financial assistance? And the financial support for apprentices and students? 

Also, if you believe (as I do) that math, science and engineering talent is largely gender-independent, then it follows from the male-heaviness of the profession that women who would be talented and capable engineers are choosing other careers instead. Is it not part of “engineering and science” to encourage capable people to do engineering and science?

Further, and this is a very big thing, women engineers are still highly disadvantaged when they wish to raise a family. (It is not just engineers of course.) Career hiatus and resumption should be part of the normal human lifecycle, but it still very much isn't for half the population. That happens in engineering and I see no reason why the engineering professional society shouldn't take an interest in this issue of great importance to (what should be, but isn't yet) half its engineers. 

BTW, the male-heaviness is very much worse elsewhere. I have worked in electrotechnical standardisation in Germany and IEC for more than a decade. In Germany, I have probably worked in committee with up to some 200 electroengineers. Two of them are women. On the IEC 61508 maintenance teams, numbering some 120-150 delegates, I think there are three women. I conclude that, in Germany (and generally elsewhere) half the potentially talented potentially electrical engineers are choosing some other career than electrotechnology. That is obviously not helping engineering. 

Zoomup: 
 

The I.E.T. should just stick to engineering and science. 

You disagree with the Foothold program of financial assistance? And the financial support for apprentices and students? 

Also, if you believe (as I do) that math, science and engineering talent is largely gender-independent, then it follows from the male-heaviness of the profession that women who would be talented and capable engineers are choosing other careers instead. Is it not part of “engineering and science” to encourage capable people to do engineering and science?

Further, and this is a very big thing, women engineers are still highly disadvantaged when they wish to raise a family. (It is not just engineers of course.) Career hiatus and resumption should be part of the normal human lifecycle, but it still very much isn't for half the population. That happens in engineering and I see no reason why the engineering professional society shouldn't take an interest in this issue of great importance to (what should be, but isn't yet) half its engineers. 

BTW, the male-heaviness is very much worse elsewhere. I have worked in electrotechnical standardisation in Germany and IEC for more than a decade. In Germany, I have probably worked in committee with up to some 200 electroengineers. Two of them are women. On the IEC 61508 maintenance teams, numbering some 120-150 delegates, I think there are three women. I conclude that, in Germany (and generally elsewhere) half the potentially talented potentially electrical engineers are choosing some other career than electrotechnology. That is obviously not helping engineering.