Arab Women Network in CBRN (AWN-CBRN)
and its Role in CBRN Security in the Middle East Region

The proposed paper will provide an overview of the Arab Women Network in CBRN Security, which is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Radiological Security, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies and Los Alamos National Laboratory. AWN-CBRN, inaugurated in December 2024, is an informal regional professional network for advancing women working in nuclear/radiological security and other fields related to chemical and biological security. Interdisciplinary by nature, the network brings together professionals from national governments, industry, civil society, and academia from across countries in the Middle East. The network serves as a platform for professionals to support workforce development, and gender equity, and to increase women’s leadership roles in radiological and nuclear fields, as well as offer mentoring and professional technical exchanges. The proposed paper will discuss the Network’s goals and objectives, as well as progress made to date on developing this platform for women experts in CBRN security in the Middle East region. The Network’s structure, its current and planned activities, as well as lessons learned from establishing the Network will also be discussed.