This special issue is prepared by the Division of Women Engineers Support of the Japan Society for Science Policy and Research Management (JWSE) to make clear recent trends and challenges of women engineers. In Japan, the number of women engineers in 2010 is 187 thousand among 2,154 thousand of all engineers. The ratio of women engineers is 8.7%, which is even lower than other countries. However, it is increasing generation by generation. The ratio of women university graduates in 2012 is 25.6% in science, as well as 11.3% in engineering. These are lower, too. The Japanese Government has intended to increase the number of women scientists, while the government has not paid attention to women engineers enough. Therefore, JWSE was established to promote research and study of women engineers, to make policy proposals, and to provide a forum for discussions. JWSE prepares the special issue of the journal 'Kenkyu, Gijutsu, Keikaku,' where JWSE invites essays of Kissho, Yoshii and Sugita, Torii and Shikano, and summarizes the discussion of women engineers, including Takeda, Nakamata and Watanabe. Finally, the former presidents of the society, Nakahara and Takeda provide their messages to the special issue.