The NEA works continuously with its member countries towards achieving a robust and qualified workforce, developing the next generation of nuclear professionals and leaders, and addressing the gender gap in the nuclear field.
In March 2023, the NEA published a report Gender Balance in the Nuclear Sector which features the first publicly available international data on gender balance in the nuclear sector, and a comprehensive, evidence-driven policy framework with practical recommendations. With this data as the evidentiary base, the OECD Council adopted the Recommendation of the Council on Improving the Gender Balance in the Nuclear Sector in June 2023.
The High-Level Group on Improving the Gender Balance in the Nuclear Sector (HLG-GB) has been working to facilitate the implementation and monitoring of the 2023 Recommendation. Recognising the importance of mentoring at every stage of the career, the group, in collaboration with the World Nuclear Association (WNA) and Women in Nuclear (WiN) Global, is developing tools to enable mentorship activities for mentors and mentees at various levels in their careers in nuclear energy.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, NEA Director-General William D. Magwood, IV highlighted the importance of mentoring in attracting more women into careers in the nuclear field:
“Bringing more women into the nuclear sector is essential. Through various NEA mentoring initiatives, we have seen that women role models can have a significant impact on others, especially younger women.”
Dr Fiona Rayment, HLG-GB Chair, shared her thoughts about the positive impact of mentors on her career:
“Mentors have shaped who I am today. I found that having someone to talk to, someone to share ideas with, someone who just supports me, has been really important throughout my career.”
Hear more from women in the nuclear sector around the world about how mentoring has helped in their professional journeys:
