Space for Women Expert Meeting: Access and participation of women and girls in the space sector

UN/Republic of Korea 

Space for Women Expert Meeting: 

Access and participation of women and girls in the space sector

16 - 19 AUGUST 2022, DAEJEON, REPUBLIC OF KOREA 

Organized jointly by

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) 

Ministry of Science and ICT of the Republic of Korea (MSIT) 

 Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) 

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) 

UPDATE: Applications for funded participants are closed. Applicants who do not require funding can still submit their application until 15 June.

DOCUMENTS AND LINKS

• Please complete the application form and submit the signature form.

• Applicants wishing to contribute to the Expert Meeting should submit an abstract by using this form. 

• Documents need to be sent to space4women[@]un.org  

• Read all about the Space4Women Initiative here. 

Background 

The meeting is part of the "Space for Women" Project (Space4Women), which falls under the United Nations Capacity Building Initiative. Space4Women encourages women and girls to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and raises awareness about career opportunities and the importance of gender equality and empowerment in the space sector. 

Purpose & Target audience 

The focus of the meeting is to discuss efforts to ensure that the benefits of space reach women and girls, as well as that they have an equal and active role in the areas of space science, technology, innovation and exploration. During the meeting, the participants will have the opportunity to engage in presentations, discussions, lectures and networking, whose aim is to promote gender equality and women empowerment in the space area in accordance with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 (Quality Education) and 5 (Gender Equality). 

Decision-makers and experts from international organizations, governments, non-governmental organizations, as well as senior officials and representatives of the private sector, research institutions and universities are all encouraged to apply. 

General Objectives 

1. OUTREACH AND AWARENESS RAISING 

• Raise awareness about the role of women in the advancement of space science, technologies, applications and space exploration; 

• Identify challenges, opportunities and effective interventions to promote and advance women in the aerospace sector; 

• Discuss how to support advocates, mentors and teachers in bringing girls into space and STEM;  

• Explore women entrepreneurship and the role of the private sector in promoting women’s careers in space; 

• Discuss policies and business practices to make the space sector more inclusive, diverse and accessible for girls and women; 

• Further collaboration among representatives from different sectors and domains to promote women in space; 

• Define what tools can help the achievement of the objectives and targets proposed and raise awareness for the issue. 

  2. INITIATE ACTION 

• Examine the participation of women in the aerospace sector and support evidence-based measures to increase the number of women in the space sector, including improving accessibility to leadership positions; 

• Build on the results of the UN/Brazil/UAE Space4Women Expert meeting in 2021 and take stock of the participation of women in the aerospace sector and develop the baseline by: 

  • Launching a stocktaking exercise to review the current status of the female workforce in global space agencies;

  • Discussing quantitative methods and statistical approaches to measure the impacts of gender empowerment activities; 

  • Discuss a comparative and impacts analysis of gender empowerment activities by 2030, based on methods and approaches discussed. 

• Prepare an outcome report to highlight results and follow-up actions as a reference document for the 2023 expert meeting  

Specific Objectives 

Focus on the discussion of specific themes related to (1) support advocates, mentors and teachers to bring girls closer to STEM and space; (2) ways to promote female entrepreneurship in space (3) the stocktaking and mapping exercise of women participation in the space sector; and (4) measuring and communicating the impact of gender empowerment activities in space. 

Themes 

Expected outcomes

It is expected that the meeting not only raises awareness on the themes but also promotes further concrete policies and actions towards gender equality and empowerment of women in the areas of space science, technology, innovation and exploration. Expected outcomes 

Following the Expert Meeting, an outcome report will be prepared to highlight the results and follow-up actions as a reference document for the 2023 expert meeting.

How to apply

Applications for funded participants are closed. Applicants who do not require funding can apply until 15 June 2022.

Unfunded applicants interested in participating in the expert meeting must: 

        1. Fill in the application form

        2. Send the signature form in PDF, signed by the Head of the nominating agency/organization, to space4women[@]un.org.

Applicants wishing to contribute to the Expert Meeting should submit an abstract by using this form. 

Important notice

The organizers will be monitoring the the global health situation carefully and will be communicating any updates on the planning and preparations regularly through the events website.

Contact details: space4women[@]un.org