Website

SOCs

Mamta Pommier (Chair, IAU WiA WG, FR), Priya Hasan (Co-Chair, IAU WiA WG, IND), Alshaimaa Saad (Egypt), Arianna Piccialli (Belgium), Daniela Lazzaro (Brazil), Lili Yang (China), Santiago Vargas Domínguez (Colombia)

Rationale

The IAU Women in Astronomy (WiA) Working Group (WG) is a part of the IAU Executive Committee with a mandate to collect information, propose measures, and initiate actions in support of, or to advance equality of opportunity for achievement between women and men in astronomy, in the IAU, and the world at large. The WiA WG has 185 members as of now from all the continents and we look forward to welcoming many more members from all over the world.The new WiA WG organizing committee appointed in Sep 2021, will focus on the difficulties (bias, reduced career prospects, leaky pipeline and lacking role models, childcare issues, harassment, discrimination, unfair working conditions) faced by Women in Astronomy. It will help bridge the gender gap in Astronomy and STEM fields, facilitate the careers of women researchers and young women Ph.D. students worldwide. To achieve these objectives a four-point action plan has been put forward with a special focus on (i) Awareness & Sustainability, (ii) Training & Skill Building, (iii) Fundraising & career support (iv) Communication & Dissemination of results via conferences, newsletters, etc. The IAU Women in Astronomy WG will organize a session at the IAU 2022, General Assembly meeting - http://www.iauga2022.org/ with an aim to highlight the support activities being carried out by the International Astronomical Union, National Astronomical societies, and funding agencies to support women's careers in Astronomy, STEM, and Outreach. The IAU WiA meeting is open to all the participants attending the IAU General Assembly meeting 2022.  Ph.D., postdocs, and early career researchers are strongly encouraged to participate.  

Important

Considering the ongoing developments regarding the coronavirus pandemic, we will likely organize a Hybrid (physical, if no travel restrictions and virtual) meeting.

NOTE

• - If you plan to join the special IAU Women in Astronomy WG Lunch+Mentoring session the please register on the website https://iauwiaga.sciencesconf.org/
• - IAU WiA Mentoring session @ IAU GA meeting Busan, 2022 South Korea (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfnx1gEIiS8mbzyX7bEQF9oPoGUZK4--3ecuieZnH4cMCDwXg/viewform)

Topics

• Gender balance statistics in Astronomy & Awareness, Juggling family and career, including the 2-body problem
• Problems (Harassment, bullying, and sexual harassment in the workplace)  faced by Women in Astronomy (STEM), Consequences and how to deal with it
• Efforts being carried out at the national level by Universities & Research organizations
• Efforts being carried out by funding agencies & international organizations
• Discrimination (Positive and negative)
• Non-academic career options (industry, K12 teaching, national labs/observatories...)
• Ethics in publishing: getting credit for your work (How to assert yourself regarding scientific work, how to make yourㅠ voice heard and your work noticed in a group environment, especially if there aren't other women)

INVITED SPEAKERS

• Catherine Cesarsky
• Debra Meloy Elmegreen
• Ewine F. van Dishoeck
• Rohini Godbole
• Silvia Torres Peimbert
• Non-IAU WiA WG members presentations

LOCAL ORGANISING COMMITTEE

Mamta Pommier (Chair, IAU WiA WG, FR), Priya Hasan (Co-Chair, IAU WiA WG, IND), Junga Hwang (Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute)