ADVOCACY IN ACTION Can engineering really be merit-based if it excludes talent? I n November 2020, OSPE launched a diversity and inclusion campaign titled Engineering for Change. The objective of the campaign is to unite the engineering community around what we know is one of the most important obstacles facing the vitality of the engineering profession- discrimination and bias are keeping some engineering graduates and professional engineers from entering and ultimately succeeding in the profession. Some of our members had questions regarding why diversity and inclusion was being prioritized when decisions about who can be an engineer and succeed in this profession should be based purely on merit and professionalism. The idea of a meritocracy within the engineering profession is not in and of itself problematic. In fact, it is an important aspiration. OSPE supports the concept that those who work hard, exude professionalism, and those who hone their craft should be rewarded for their efforts. However, evidence shows us that our systems for evaluating people are skewed by biases. These biases impact women and members of underrepresented groups disproportionately and affect their professional outcomes. The very idea that meritocracy exists in the engineering profession is holding us back from a productive dialogue about how we can break down barriers for women and others within the engineering profession. It is masking the evident bias and discrimination that lead to alarming statistics such as: One-in-three One-in-four women currently get paid less than their male counterparts in the engineering industry experience harassment, discrimination or bullying at work within the engineering industry 45% 44% of women report feeling undervalued or disrespected in the workplace, compared to 20% of their male counterparts of men compared to 18% of women claimed claim to having never felt barriers to their workplace advancement. 18 THE VOICE June 2021