Its mission statement, adopted in 1986, is "Stimulate women to achieve full potential in careers as engineers and leaders, expand the image of the engineering profession as a positive force in improving the quality of life, demonstrate the value of diversity."
The non-profit organization awards scholarships to members pursing bachelors or graduate level degrees, every year. in 2016, SWE gave more than $750,000 in scholarships to 231 students.