Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
The IAEA is committed to gender equality and to supporting the ability of all individuals, regardless of gender, to equally contribute to and benefit from its programmes and activities. Since the 2020 launch of the IAEA’s Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme (MSCFP), more than 500 women have been offered scholarships for master’s degree in nuclear-related fields. Earlier this year, the Lise Meitner Programme was launched to “level the playing field by giving women already in the nuclear field opportunities that will support their advancement,” Mr Grossi said.
Furthermore, “maximizing the IAEA talent pool and creating the conditions for gender equality are important priorities,” he said. At the start of Mr Grossi’s tenure, 30 per cent of the IAEA’s staff serving in the professional or higher category were women. He set a goal for gender parity by 2025 and put in place policies to achieve that goal. As of August 2023, the overall representation of women has reached 43 per cent.
Mr Grossi concluded his remarks, expressing gratitude to Austria, the IAEA’s host country, “for doing everything possible to enable our work.” He also thanked Monaco for hosting the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories.
Seventy years after Eisenhower’s speech, “the dream of Atoms for Peace, now Atoms for Peace and Development, lives on,” Mr Grossi said. “Making it a reality is up to all of us.”