Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Colleagues,
I am pleased to welcome you all to this celebration of International Women’s Day.
I very much welcome the presence on the podium of these young panellists from the IAEA, and I look forward to learning about their views on gender issues in the nuclear field.
In my work as Director General, I visit 20 to 30 countries every year – sometimes even more. I am struck by the fact that more and more of the scientists, engineers and medical professionals whom I meet are women. Many of these have received training or fellowships from the Agency.
I also have the pleasure of meeting undergraduate and postgraduate students who have chosen to study various aspects of nuclear science and technology.
In the United States and the Philippines, I met high school students with a lively interest in nuclear science.
The Agency is working with these countries, as well as with Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and others, to encourage female high school students to study science, technology, engineering and maths – the so-called STEM subjects.
The fact that growing numbers of young women are studying, and excelling in, nuclear sciences, is a very welcome development. I firmly believe that there is a bright future for women in the nuclear field.
I expect to see more women take on leadership roles in the nuclear sector in Member States, as well as more women Ambassadors and Governors here at the Agency.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I take the target of equal representation for women at all levels at the Agency very seriously. At present, nearly 29 percent of staff in the Professional and Higher Categories are women.
I have recently appointed two new directors who are women. They are both very capable and experienced in their fields, which are human resources and procurement.
But, of course, we must do better. In my statement to the Board of Governors yesterday, I asked Member States to help us achieve the goal of gender parity.
Countries can do this by working with us to encourage more female students to study nuclear science and technology, and by raising awareness of the wonderful career opportunities available at the IAEA.
The most senior woman in the Agency at present – Janice Dunn-Lee – has been a tireless advocate for women. She has helped to spearhead, or support, many practical initiatives, including the now well established event that we are attending today. I am grateful to Janice for the great energy she has brought to the question of gender parity.
Recent initiatives include providing more comprehensive information about opportunities for women on the IAEA public website, actively engaging with social media, and raising the visibility of women in our films and brochures.
Last August, we hosted the annual conference of Women in Nuclear, entitled Women in Nuclear meets Atoms for Peace. More than 450 women from over 90 Member States and a number of international organisations took part.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The work of the Agency to help developing countries fight cancer, grow more food, and protect the environment – to take just a few examples – is very important. It touches the lives of millions.
I want our programmes to have a positive impact on the lives of women, in particular, as we assist our Member States in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Gender balance is important not only in the recruitment of Agency staff, but also in Member State participation in the whole range of our activities.
I am also keen to increase the proportion of staff from developing countries in order to ensure that geographical representation is as wide as possible.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The IAEA starts celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. We have a challenging but very rewarding mission, which I summarise as Atoms for Peace and Development. We have been fortunate in always being able to attract very clever people to fulfil that mission.
Until now, the proportion of women has not been as high as it should have been. But that is changing and it will continue to change.
Women will undoubtedly have much more influence on the work of the Agency in the coming decades and that is a very welcome development.
I thank you for your participation here today and wish all my female colleagues a happy International Women’s Day.