Women in Nuclear Law Initiative (WiNLI)
Ongoing

Background

Women are under-represented in the nuclear energy sector, especially in leadership roles. The future of the nuclear industry requires a robust and diverse workforce to not only drive performance and innovation, but also to ensure public health and safety and protect the environment. The need for this robust and diverse workforce extends to the field of nuclear law. The Women in Nuclear Law Initiative (WiNLI) was launched in March 2023 under the framework of the partnership between Women in Nuclear (WiN) Global and the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) to address this issue.

Mission and objectives

WiNLI aims to promote and strengthen the involvement of women in nuclear law by attracting, retaining and promoting current and future talents in this interesting and unique field and to enhance the attractiveness of nuclear law as an exciting and dynamic practice area.

The main objective of WiNLI is to create a multidisciplinary group of nuclear law experts within the membership of WiN Global and to integrate nuclear lawyers into WiN Global.

  • Regularly meet as a multidisciplinary network of experts from different organisations, companies, countries, fields and backgrounds, to exchange information and discuss news, trends, and gender issues in nuclear law;
  • Launch initiatives – particularly related to mentoring – to give visibility to potential career options to professional women working in nuclear law;
  • Promote gender balanced webinars, workshops, panel discussions and other events on nuclear law; and
  • Participate in conferences, panel sessions and events related to nuclear law.

Governance

Leadership team

The WiNLI leadership team, which consists of not more than 20 WiNLI members, is reponsible for determining the annual Programme of Work and overseeing the activities of WiNLI. The WiNLI leadership team aims to achieve a diversity of backgrounds and representation from across the 145 countries in almost 60 chapters of WiN Global and efforts will be made to ensure that junior talent in the nuclear law field will be represented. Members of the leadership team chair / co-chair WiNLI's five committtes. The members of the leadership team are:

  • Argentina, Mr Mariano Roman Paez
  • Canada, Ms Lisa Thiele
  • Mexico, Dr Sara Maciel Sánchez
  • Poland, Ms Katarzyna Kaźmierska
  • Singapore, Ms Nivedita S
  • South Africa, Ms Farisha Panday
  • United Arab Emirates, Dr Zoryana Vovchok
  • United Kingdom, Ms Lorraine Chiwenga
  • United Kingdom, Ms Alison Messenger
  • United Kingdom, Ms Fiona Reilly
  • United States, Ms Pegah Ebrahimi Eftekhari
  • United States, Ms Maxine Keefe
  • Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), Ms Verity Robson
  • European Commission, Ms Lenka Budinova
  • International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ms Peri Lynne Johnson
  • International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), Ms Camille Scotto de Cesar

Committees

Committees are formed within the general membership of WiNLI as focused sub-groups. WiNLI members may voluntarily join any committee that interests them. Each committee is led by at least one Chair from the leadership team. Committees aim to meet at least quarterly.

Committee 1: Mentoring

  • Co-Chair: Lenka Budinova
  • Co-Chair: Verity Robson

Committee 2: Training and webinars

  • Co-Chair: Maxine Keefe
  • Co-Chair: Lisa Thiele

Committee 3: Networking and events

  • Co-Chair: Sara Maciel Sánchez
  • Co-Chair: Alison Messenger

Committee 4: Membership, recruitment and outreach

  • Co-Chair: Camille Scotto de Cesar
  • Co-Chair: Kimberly Nick

Committee 5: Website and social media

  • Co-Chair: Nivedita S
  • Co-Chair: Robyn Jordan

Joining WiNLI

WiNLI membership is free and open to all WiN Global members who wish join, particularly women in the legal field. 

If you are interested in joining WiNLI, please sign up here or contact WiNLI with any further questions.

Secretariat

The NEA Division of Nuclear Law (DNL) currently provides Secretariat services for WiNLI. 

KSN  

Kimberly Sexton Nick

Head, NEA Division of Nuclear Law

RJ 

Robyn Jordan

Paralegal, NEA Division of Nuclear Law

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