ED&I Roadmap Introduction:

The future of the nuclear industry has never been brighter. There has also never been a better time to support women working in the nuclear industry than right now. Women in Nuclear Canada (WiN Canada) is committed to supporting the success of the nuclear industry in Canada. We are well-positioned to have an impact on the industry and the communities in which we live and work.

One of our greatest challenges in the industry today is the very lean representation of women in the employee population. Women represent only about 22% of the workforce in the nuclear industry. Role models are critical to increasing both gender representation and overall diversity in the nuclear sector. Women need to be able to see themselves in the industry and envision themselves in various roles WiN Canada is committed to supporting our members in their pursuit of professional development. We are also committed to helping the organizations within our membership achieve gender balance.

This is an objective of Canada’s Equal by 30 campaign, which aims to advance women’s participation in the clean energy revolution and achieve 50% of women in the clean energy sector, including nuclear, by 2030. The campaign is a public commitment made by both public and private sector organizations to work towards equal pay, equal leadership, and equal opportunities for women in the clean energy sector. Several federal departments, including Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) have singed onto the commitment as a means to advance sector diversity and capacity.

However, with less than 8 years remaining to achieve our Equal by 30 objectives, women only represent 22% of the nuclear workforce. A significant amount of work remains to meet and surpass these targets, which means the message is clear – the time to act is now. While Equal by 30 is predominately focused on increasing the number of women in energy, it is recognized that it is not possible to advance gender equity without also advancing racial and ethnic minorities, LGBTQ2+ individuals, persons with a disability and other underrepresented groups.

WiN Canada’s mission statement is to make the public aware, especially women, of the benefits of nuclear and radiation applications in food, health and energy. WiN Canada Global has considerable reach, with over 25,000 members worldwide, working in various fields of nuclear energy and radiation applications. In Canada, we now have over 4,000+ members, employed in a wide range of disciplines.  WiN Canada leverages the talent and expertise of these members to expand its reach to other women’s organizations. By reaching out to other organizations we are able to respond to Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA) findings that women, and young women particularly, are the least supportive of our industry.

Project Updates

Committed to the Equal by 30 principles, WiN Canada and NRCan are committed to increasing the participation of women and other under-represented groups in the nuclear industry.

In September 2022, WiN Canada and NRCan worked with Canadian Equality Consulting to host a series of roundtables for women and non-binary people in the nuclear industry to share their perspectives and experiences with gender in the nuclear industry. We have now compiled all the information we received and have developed a draft of the roadmap.

We are now entering the next phase of work, where we are seeking feedback from members of the industry on the roadmap approach, themes, and goals. We will be holding another five roundtables for women in the nuclear industry between December 5-9, 2022.  If you are interested in participating in these roundtables, please use one of the links below to sign up.

December 5: 11:00-12:30 ET https://calendly.com/heather-collier/win-canada-nrcan-equal-by-30-roundtable-women1

December 6: 4:30-6:00 ET https://calendly.com/heather-collier/win-canada-nrcan-equal-by-30-roundtable-women2

December 7: 11:00-12:30 ET https://calendly.com/heather-collier/win-canada-nrcan-equal-by-30-roundtable-women3

December 7: 2:00-3:30 ET https://calendly.com/heather-collier/win-canada-nrcan-equal-by-30-roundtable-women4

December 9: 11:00-12:30 ET https://calendly.com/heather-collier/win-canada-nrcan-equal-by-30-roundtable-women5

We thank you for your participation in this important initiative.

Should you have any questions, please contact Heather Collier, with Canadian Equality Consulting at heather@canadianequality.ca