Senior-ranked women of the IAEA and women ambassadors from the European Union and Permanent Missions to the United Nations gathered together on 19 September 2014 at the IAEA Headquarters to explore wide-ranging issues related to atomic energy and gender equality at the IAEA and other international organizations. The event was organized by Women Ambassadors in Wien (WAW) and was the first WAW occasion bringing together IAEA women in senior-level positions.
Also attending the meeting was IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano, who contributed insights into the work of the IAEA on these important topics. In his opening remarks, the Director General welcomed the opportunity to join the women ambassadors and senior-level women of the IAEA to address issues, among other things, of gender balance and equality.
He described the efforts already being implemented by the IAEA in these areas, noting the work of IAEA Deputy Director General of Management, Janice Dunn Lee, who has been a driving force for greater gender equality and balance in the Agency.
Meeting attendees had an opportunity to engage in an informal question and answer session with Director General Amano. They explored a range of topics, from outreach to civil society, quotas and to youth engagement, particularly in building a robust future workforce in the nuclear sector.
Recruitment and gender balance at the IAEA was also a point of interest during the exchange of views at the meeting. Director General Amano explained that the IAEA has already seen an improvement in the gender balance with an increase in the representation of senior-level women in the Agency over the last five years. He said that though changes have been made, there is still work to be done for recruiting women at all levels, but emphasized that "the future for women in the IAEA is bright."
Deputy Director General Dunn Lee echoed Director General Amano's sentiments, describing the Agency "as turning a corner" in furthering the dialogue on gender issues. She encouraged the use of "an incremental, step-by-step approach to broadening the consideration for women in all dimensions."
The Deputy Director General also requested meeting attendees to "help the Agency to define where partnerships can be made" to further collaboration between the IAEA and other international organizations on gender equity. This led to further discussions among the Ambassadors and senior IAEA staff who acknowledged the importance of collaboration.
This gathering was part of the WAW working group's initiative to gather its members together prior to their attendance at major events and conferences at the international organizations in Vienna. The aim of these pre-event meetings is to create an atmosphere of dialogue and idea exchange on important topics that may be raised at the upcoming meetings, with emphasis also being placed on gender dimensions.
The IAEA hosted a similar event, Women in All Things Nuclear - The Way Forward, on 23 September 2014 during the IAEA 58th General Conference.