IAEA Board of Governors
Statement by Mexico on behalf of the Group of Friends for Women in Nuclear
Agenda Item 9: Any other business
Chair,
Mexico has the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of Friends for Women in Nuclear, whose 37 Member States are united in our commitment to gender equality in the nuclear field and across the work of the Agency.
Chair,
We are encouraged by the promising results of the efforts of the Agency, under DG Grossi’s leadership, to achieve gender parity by 2025. At the end of 2021, women made up 37% of staff in the professional and higher categories, an 8% increase in the five years since the establishment of our Group (29.4% in 2017). We call on the IAEA to build on this foundation and accelerate progress.
In this regard, the Group welcomes the targeted talent outreach campaigns and partnerships aimed at attracting well qualified women candidates, especially in technical areas. We encourage the Secretariat to make use of all platforms, including social media, to position the IAEA as an employer of choice for women.
We further note with appreciation the partnerships established by the Secretariat with Women in Nuclear and its regional chapters, which make it possible to reach a wider pool of applicants, especially from developing countries.
Chair,
Addressing unconscious bias and building a flexible, inclusive workplace that values diversity will enrich the Agency’s decision-making and effectiveness, and is essential to achieving sustainable gender equality. We welcome the Agency’s efforts to provide training to staff on these issues.
Moreover, we encourage the Agency to increase its focus on preventing and responding to sexual harassment, which is critical to building trust and creating an enabling environment that allows all staff to reach their full potential.
Chair,
The Group commends the Agency on the launching of the second cycle of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme. With 220 fellows already on board, this innovative initiative is making a tangible contribution to the empowerment of women from all regions to achieve their potential in STEM fields.
We acknowledge the generous support from Member States and other donors to the Fellowship Programme and invite additional in-kind and financial contributions from those in a position to do so.
Chair,
The Group expresses its support for the ongoing mainstreaming of gender in the programmatic activities of the IAEA, including through the greater weight and attention paid to gender markers. As part of this encouraging trend, we note with appreciation the inclusion of a gender focus in the recently launched “Rays of Hope” initiative.
We also note that, according to the Agency’s survey of laboratories that received COVID-19 assistance, 14.7 million, or 49%, of those tested using IAEA-supplied PCR kits were women. We support the use of gender-disaggregated indicators to monitor the impact of the Agency’s work.
The development of the medium-term strategy (MTS) for 2024-2029, currently underway, is a valuable opportunity to raise the level of ambition regarding gender equality across the Agency’s programmes and projects.
Chair,
Gender equality and the empowerment of women lie at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals and are also key to strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of the IAEA. On the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, on 11 February, and International Women’s Day, on 8 March, the Group renews its commitment to work with all Member States and the IAEA to achieve gender equality in nuclear.
Finally, we invite delegations who share our vision on gender equality to join the Group of Friends for Women in Nuclear. If you would like to join, please make your interest known to co-chairs Spain or Mexico.