On 16 September, the VCDNP, jointly with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the IAEA Chapter of Women in Nuclear (WiN IAEA), and the International Network of Emerging Nuclear Specialists (INENS), organized for the third year in a row an interactive roundtable discussion about the roles and opportunities for women in the nuclear field. The roundtable, which was moderated by Laura Rockwood, Executive Director of the VCDNP, was held as a side event to the 59th IAEA General Conference, and was made possible by the sponsorship of the Permanent Missions to the IAEA of France, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
The event, entitled "Women in All Things Nuclear: The Future Workforce," addressed the importance of developing a workforce pipeline that included women in the nuclear field and, as importantly, retaining women once they have entered the field. One resounding issue noted throughout the session was the need for mentoring. Women and men should mentor the younger generation to give the latter confidence in their abilities and to encourage them to move beyond their comfort zones. Along with mentoring, the importance of female role models in senior level positions was highlighted as crucial to retaining young women in the workforce and encouraging them to progress in their careers. As UK Ambassador Susan le Jeune d'Allegeershecque explained, "It is difficult to believe you can do [a job] if you've never seen women like you do it [before]."
The roundtable concluded on a positive note by recognizing that everyone can do something to facilitate greater participation by women in the nuclear field. Educational programs were highlighted as an important first step to achieve this goal.
The event was also featured on the IAEA website.
