27 August 2024
Shahneela Tariq, Margarita Kalinina-Pohl, Jasmine Auda, Al-Sharif Nasser bin Nasser

On July 10-11, 2024, the James Martin Center for Non-Proliferation Studies (CNS), Ambit Advisory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) co-hosted a virtual working meeting to discuss a new regional professional network for women in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) security in the Middle East and North Africa. More than 20 experts in the CBRN field from Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates, representing regulators, national laboratories, academia, and industry, attended this event as potential members of the network. Leaders from other regional networks such as Black Sea Women in Nuclear (BSWN), Women in Nuclear in Central Asia (WINCA), and Women in Nuclear Southeast Asia (WINSEA) also attended this virtual meeting to share their experiences with members of the emerging network.

This initiative is supported by the Office of Radiological Security and LANL of the National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Interest in nuclear energy is growing in the Middle East and North Africa, with countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Egypt investing significant resources in building new reactors. The United Arab Emirates operates the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, the first nuclear power plant in the Arab world. This trend extends to other countries in the region, such as Saudi Arabia and Jordan, which are actively exploring nuclear energy as a low-carbon alternative to their dependence on oil and gas and are working with the IAEA to lay the groundwork for their nuclear programs.

Although the energy industry is still young, the region already has a long tradition of building other nuclear and radiological infrastructure. Therefore, the region must have a strong workforce ready to meet the growing demand. The inclusion of women in the workforce significantly expands the available talent pool and contributes to economic growth. The expansion of nuclear energy programs, as well as the operation of facilities and industries that use radioactive sources, promises to attract female participation, as many women already work in the regulatory and nuclear fields. In some countries, regulatory bodies combine safety and security responsibilities in the CBRN field. The emerging network aspires to become a regional professional platform for the advancement of women working in radiology and other fields related to CBRN safety. Its mission will be to connect, support and empower women in the fields of nuclear, radiological and, in due course, chemical and biological safety.

The virtual meeting began with welcoming remarks from Al-Sharif Nasser bin Nasser, Founder and CEO of Ambit Advisory, Margarita Kalinina-Pohl, Program Director for CBRN Safety at CNS, and Kristin Hirsch, Director of the DOE/NNSA Office of Radiological Safety. The meeting covered a wide range of topics, including initiatives to empower women in the Arab countries of the Middle East and North Africa, global efforts to achieve diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in nuclear engineering and related fields, the importance of mentorship programs, and emerging trends in nuclear energy and CBRN safety.

The introductory session was delivered by Olga Martin of Los Alamos National Laboratory and focused on “Women’s Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives and Outreach at LANL.” Martin introduced LANL’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) such as Atomic Women, which empower women in science and engineering.

The session was followed by a discussion on the network’s potential role in supporting women in nuclear and radiological security in the Middle East and North Africa who do not have access to formal mentoring opportunities, and in providing a valuable space for professional development and building connections across borders.

Many participants felt that attending conferences and other professional events is an important goal, especially for young professionals. All participants also stressed the importance of networking, from experienced professionals to the next generation, at all stages of their careers.

The first day’s programme included an exchange of best practices in building other regional networks by Nataliia Klos, President of the Black Sea Women in Nuclear Network (BSWN), Zarina Sayfieva, Coordinator of the Women in Nuclear Central Asia Network (WINCA), and Sabariah Kader Ibrahim, Founder of Women in Nuclear Southeast Asia (WINSEA).

Nataliia highlighted that the Black Sea Women in Nuclear Network (BSWN) provides a supportive network and mentoring opportunities for women to develop their skills and become more prominent in the field. The BSWN has 83 members representing the Black Sea and other countries and was registered as a legal entity last year. Nataliia provided key insights emphasizing the importance of clear communication, patience, tailoring efforts to regional needs and consistent activities to keep the network running.

Zarina shared her experience in establishing the Women in Nuclear Central Asia (WINCA) network. It brings together female professionals in the nuclear and related fields from Central Asian countries. It aims to promote gender equality in the region’s nuclear sector by increasing women’s participation in leadership positions and representing their voice in global dialogues. WINCA’s advice for new networks emphasizes the importance of consistent engagement and leveraging the expertise of network members.

Sabariah shared how her experience as a fellow at CNS encouraged and motivated her to launch WINSEA in 2021 to empower women in nuclear security and non-proliferation in her region. The main cultural dilemma she addressed was the “double-bind dilemma” faced by women in leadership positions: Assertive women are seen as competent but difficult, while caring women are seen as likable but not qualified. To counteract this bias, WINSEA proposes changing this thinking, applying equal evaluation standards, and promoting visible female champions.

During the second day’s discussion, led by Jasmine Auda of Ambit Advisory, participants focused on building the foundations for the emerging Arab Women in CBRN Security Network, including discussing the name of the network, which would accurately describe the countries represented, as well as the network’s mission, structure, leadership and future activities.

A key point of discussion was to ensure that the network responds to the specific needs of the region, respects the diversity of participating countries and recognises the lack of established frameworks in some areas, such as biosafety.

Mentoring programs and encouraging the involvement of young professionals were identified as key priorities. There was debate about the target audience. Some suggested the network should remain exclusively for women, while others thought it would be useful to include men as allies or speakers. Ultimately, it was decided to create a women-focused network that would also provide opportunities for men to participate at certain levels.

Ideas for network activities and next steps were also considered. These included setting up a WhatsApp group, developing a website with resources and member profiles, running webinars on CBRN security topics specific to the region, developing e-learning modules and organising face-to-face meetings. Network members identified the development of a logo and communication strategy as the first activity.

The meeting was a success and ended with a commitment to make the Arab Women Network in CBRN Security a regional hub that promotes women working in radiology and other security-related fields. All participants and organizers agreed that the network, which spans multiple disciplines, will create a space for collaboration between professionals from governments, industry, nonprofits and academic institutions across the Middle East and North Africa.