Black Sea Women in Nuclear Network Promoting Gender Parity in the Region and Beyond

Black Sea Women in Nuclear Network Promoting Gender Parity in the Region and Beyond Margarita Kalinina-Pohl, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies; Nataliia Klos, Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine; Olga Martin, Los Alamos National Laboratory The proposed paper will examine the importance of professional networks in promoting diversity in nuclear fields, and especially how they support and promote women working in nuclear security, safety, and nonproliferation. It will focus the Black Sea Women in Nuclear Network (BSWN), established in December 2021. BSWN is a regional professional network for advancing women working in the nuclear sector. The U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration and the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority support the network and the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies and Los Alamos National Laboratory implement the network in the partnership with Odessa Center for Nonproliferation and Women in Nuclear Ukraine. BSWN serves as a platform for nuclear security practitioners and other experts to promote gender equity and increase women's leadership roles in nuclear security, safety, and nonproliferation, as well as offer professional exchanges, mentoring, and training opportunities. Interdisciplinary by nature, the network brings together women from national governments, industry, civil society, and academia from Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, and other countries. The authors of the paper will review current courses of actions and describe specific activities of BSWN that have already been implemented. One of the examples of these activities is the BSWN inaugural virtual workshop featuring regional and international speakers from over 35 organizations that focused on regional challenges to nuclear security and nonproliferation and sharing subject matter experts’ experiences in working in the nuclear security fields where women have traditionally been underrepresented. The paper will also discuss planned activities of three BSWN working groups, including the mentorship program and speaker series, as well as its efforts and strategies to increase BSWN visibility and sustainability. We will conclude with recommendations on how this and similar professional networking can serve as effective tools for promoting gender parity in nuclear fields on both regional and international levels.