2024 Space4Women Expert Meeting: Recap and Resources
2024 Space4Women Expert Meeting: Recap and Resources
On 27-29 November 2024, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and the Kenya Space Agency co-hosted the 5th Space4Women Expert Meeting at the United Nations Office in Nairobi
Under the theme of “Integrating women in space activities and solutions”, the 5th Expert Meeting built upon the outcomes from the previous editions in New York, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Korea, and Canada.
The hosts welcomed well over 100 participants from 34 countries with particularly rich representation from the African continent, helping to grow the network of Space4Women supporters and contributors. Experts from governments and national space agencies, academia, the private sector, and civil society organizations gathered to exchange knowledge, experiences, and ideas and discuss solutions to foster the integration of women and girls into the space sector.
The gathering served as an apt opportunity to present the finalized Gender Mainstreaming Toolkit for the Space Sector developed during the 4th edition and the Landmark Study on Gender Equality in the Space Sector as one of the key outcomes ideated during the 3rd edition of the Space4Women Expert Meeting series.
The Expert Meeting included presentations, panel discussions, breakout discussions and a workshop segment delving into a variety of topics:
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Actionable and tailored capacity-building for women and girls in the space sector extending to the grassroots level;
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Championing the implementation of the Gender Mainstreaming Toolkit;
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Entrepreneurship and leadership for women in the space sector;
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Empowering women in space research and innovation;
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Innovative space technologies for gender equality and inclusion;
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Successful outreach initiatives to raise global awareness for more participation of women in space activities.
Breakout discussions, through four working groups, provided the opportunity for the experts to reflect and further discuss the topics raised during the sessions and panel discussions in plenary. In a workshop setting, participants engaged in the first consultations around the future elaboration of a toolkit to unlock STEM education for women and girls from underprivileged communities.
On the final day, experts concluded and elaborated the final recommendations of the Expert Meeting. They specifically recommended strengthening efforts at grassroots levels, creating national focal points and regional collaboration groups, investing further in capacity-building, training, mentorship, and infrastructures, unlocking more funding opportunities for courses and training resources, and fostering strategic communication with policymakers and governments. As part of the recommendations, the Kenya Space Agency and UNOOSA committed to pursuing the elaboration of a STEM education toolkit for women and girls from underprivileged communities.
Additionally, several distinguished keynote speakers presented throughout the meeting. Among others, these included UNOOSA Director, Aarti Holla-Maini; Director General of the Kenya Space Agency, Brig. Hillary Kipkosgey; Principal Secretary, State Department for Foreign Affairs Dr. Korir Singoei; Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Defence Hon. Soipan Tuya; Principal Secretary, State Department for Diaspora Affairs of Kenya, Roseline Njogu; and Vice-President of Policy, Communications and Strategic Planning, Canadian Space Agency, Stéphanie Durand. More information is available on the agenda.
Overall, the 2024 Space4Women Expert Meeting provided an empowering opportunity to connect gender equality experts and advocates in the STEM and space sectors. While it advanced the understanding of women’s participation in the space sector and the challenges they face, it also focused on solutions. As such, capacity-building and STEM education at all levels were deeply discussed and successful initiatives and methods were presented, inspiring experts to take action within their contexts. In addition, the Expert Meeting provided a great platform for connecting experts where the creation of new initiatives was already discussed and will run beyond the Expert Meeting.