2023 Space4Women Expert Meeting: Recap and Resources
The 2023 Space4Women Expert Meeting was jointly organized by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and the Canadian Space Agency and took place from 30 October to 3 November 2023 in Montréal, Canada.
It was the 4th Space for Women Expert Meeting.
The Expert Meeting brought together experts from governmental institutions such as national space agencies and ministries, representatives of the private sector, civil society, universities and research institutions, as well as from international organizations.
The event was attended by a total of 69 participants from 35 Member States.
Building on the results of the previous meetings, the 2023 Expert Meeting focused on building the capacity of participants to promote and advance gender equality and empower women and girls in the space sector, in efforts to inspire and help participants to drive gender equality efforts forward in their country. More details about the objectives of the meeting are available here.
During the event, experts participated in plenary sessions, which included oral presentations categorized into the following five themed sessions:
- Measuring women in the space workforce: existing efforts and progress.
- How does space technology advance gender equality? Showcasing successful examples of women’s empowerment through space technology and applications.
- Gender mainstreaming in space policy, strategy, technology and exploration: good practices and lessons learned.
- Inspire through storytelling: women professionals in the space sector.
- Working together to advance gender equality.
Participants also collaborated to review the first Gender Mainstreaming Toolkit dedicated for the space sector. The feedback and examples collected through the working group discussions will be integrated in the Gender Mainstreaming Toolkit, which will be published ahead of the 67th session of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in 2024.
Additionally, several distinguished keynote speakers presented throughout the meeting. Among others, these included UNOOSA Director, Aarti Holla-Maini; CSA President, Lisa Campbell; UAE Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology and Chairperson of the UAE Space Agency, H.E. Sarah Bint Yousif Al Amiri; and CSA Astronaut Jennifer Gibbons. More information is available on the agenda.
Overall, the 2023 Space4Women Expert Meeting was an empowering opportunity to connect gender equality experts and advocates in the STEM and space sectors from around the world. The Expert Meeting fostered information-sharing and learning; developed a sense of global community; and created connections for local and regional cooperation.
Resources:
Click to view the event agenda and list of participants.
List of speakers and presentations
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Measuring women in the space workforce: existing efforts and progress
- Soyoung Chung, Senior Researcher, Korea Aerospace Research Institute, “Using data for improving policy decisions: Korea’s efforts to promote women in space”
- Laurie St-Onge (Senior Economist) and Lauren Gravis (GBA Plus Focal Point), CSA
- How does space technology advance gender equality? Showcasing successful examples of women’s empowerment through space technology and applications
- Jagila Jantiku, Chief Scientific Officer, National Space Research and Development Agency, Nigeria, “Advancing gender equality through space technology and climate resilience: empowering women in agriculture”
- Maria-Jose Molina-Montero, Geographer, Inter-American Institute of Agriculture, Costa Rica, “Empowering women in rural Costa Rica: a geospatial rally for social transformation”
- Danika Kelly, Co-Founder and CEO, My Normative, Canada, “Disrupting the gender data gap through technical innovation”
- Yulia Akisheva, Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), “Our Giant Leap Hackathon”
- Gender mainstreaming in space policy, strategy, technology and exploration: good practices and lessons learned
- Vera Pinto Gomes, Policy and Equality Coordinator, European Commission, “Promoting gender mainstreaming in space”
- Jennifer Breslin, Director at Futuristas, USA, “A holistic approach to gender equality and space”
- Elise Stephenson, Deputy Director, Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, Australia, “What’s it like? Workplace experiences across gender, disability, ethnicity, sexuality in the space sector”
- Fandora Rynee, Space Edu Specialist, Thai, "Gender mainstreaming in space policy, strategy, technology and exploration: Good practices and lessons learned."
- Inspire through storytelling: women professionals in the space sector
- Cécile Deprez, Researcher at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Germany
- Gulchehra Kokhirova, Director, Institute of Astrophysics, National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, “International cooperation of women scientists as a precondition for gender equality in space research – Tajikistan case study”
- Anita Antwiwaa, Head of Department, All Nations Space Systems Technology Laboratory, Ghana
- Stephanie Wan, Associate Director, Methuselah Foundation, Australia
- Working together to advance gender equality
- Omowumi Alabi, Head of the Academic Programs, African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education, Nigeria, “She Space Nigeria: Using exposure to satellite remote sensing to encourage pre-teens to learn about STEM subjects”
- Makenna Kuzyk, Founder, Mission SpaceWalker, Canada, “Leaders for the future: How to encourage youth in the space sector”
- Primerose Bomokayi, Junior Scientist, Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZINGZA), “Working together to promote, recruit & retain all women & girls in the space sector”
- Kate Breach, President, Women in Space Aotearoa, New Zealand, “Women in space Aotearoa New Zealand”