#EFGinclusion Campaign #5:
EFG’s Spanish National Association (Official Spanish Association of Professional Geologists, ICOG) has announced its support for the initiative #DóndeEstánEllas (#WhereIsShe), launched by the European Parliament’s Office in Spain. This initiative aims to increase the presence of female experts as speakers at conferences and debates, promoting gender equality in public and professional spheres.
Only one in three expert speakers in European debates and panels is a woman. However, diversity in these debates, including voices from various backgrounds, ages, genders, cultures, and abilities, enriches the dialogue and fosters the inspiration of new ideas for the future. Public debate is crucial in any democracy to challenge what does not work and build fairer, more inclusive societies.
Launched in March 2018, the initiative #WhereIsShe seeks to highlight the presence of female experts in the public space, especially at events on European issues.
By joining the initiative, EFG’s Spanish National Association has committed to conduct an annual internal audit to analyse the participation of female experts in its events, with the goal in mind of progressively improving these numbers. This action aligns with ICOG’s commitment to promoting gender equality and giving visibility to female talent in geoscience.
Since its launch, #WhereIsShe has gained numerous signatories, including associations, think tanks, universities, professional associations, and foundations. The European Parliament’s Office in Spain has been recognised for this effort with several awards, including the Woman Forward and Ocare awards in 2019 and the Women in a Legal World award in 2020.
More information about this initiative can be found at the following link in Spanish: https://madrid.europarl.europa.eu/es/dossiers/where-is-she/presentation
