Progress report for
Enhancing the role of women in marine scientific research through capacity-building
Achievement at a glance
This voluntary commitment has been operationalized through three complementary streams of action taken by the International Seabed Authority (ISA). First, through the implementation of ISA’s programmatic approach on capacity development with a strong gender component. Second, through the commitment made in 2022 by the ISA Secretary-General as an International Gender Champion (IGC) and the establishing and co-chairing of a new Impact Group on Research and Oceans for Women (IGROW) within the IGC network. Third, through the implementation of a dedicated project, Women in Deep Sea Research (WIDSR), in partnership with the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) and several partners representing governments, international and regional organizations, scientific institutions, industry and the scientific community.Gender equality requirements have been mainstreamed into all of ISA’s capacity development programmes including the Contractors’ Training Programme, Internship Programme, ISA-China Joint Training and Research Centre, ADSR National Experts Deployment Programme, Abyssal Initiative for Blue Growth and Secretary-General’s Award for Excellence in Deep Sea Research. As of February 2021, 44 % of ISA’s capacity-building beneficiaries were women. As an International Gender Champion, the ISA Secretary-General, H.E Mr. Michael W. Lodge has signed the panel parity pledge and further committed to advance women's empowerment and leadership in marine scientific research and to ensure that the ISA Secretariat maintains gender parity including at the most senior levels (P5 and above). As of April 2022, 60% of the ISA Secretariat Staff are women.
The WIDSR project launched in partnership with UN-OHRLLS in March 2021 aims to advance the participation and leadership of women from LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS in deep-sea research and covers a large spectrum of activities - improving data availability for informed policy development to establishing communities of practice, mentorship and leadership programmes, among others.
Challenges faced in implementation
The COVID-19 pandemic has generated significant challenges including delays in in-person training opportunities for women scientists from LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS caused by travel restrictions and economic implications associated with the pandemic.Next Steps
Sonakshi MishraBeneficiaries
The WIDSR project is targeted to benefit women scientists from developing States, in particular those from least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and small island developing States (SIDS) who are already engaged or willing to engage in marine scientific research with a focus on deep sea research and related activities. Policymakers, decision-makers as well as leaders of marine scientific organizations and institutes, marine industry are also expected to benefit from improved data availability for informed policy making and capacity development in support of gender equality in ocean science.
Actions
In order to improve data availability on the participation of women in deep sea research and related fields, a gender-mapping of the deep-sea research field and related disciplines and activities has been conducted under the WIDSR project to assess the representation of women scientists from LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS including an analysis of critical barriers preventing their participation and access to leadership positions in such fields. The report “Empowering women from LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS in deep-sea research” was launched at 2022 UN Ocean Conference through a high-level side event and is expected to inform decision-makers on how to advance women empowerment and leadership in highly technical and emerging fields of ocean science such as deep-sea research and related activities.Women from developing States, in particular LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS have been provided (i) training placements on deep sea research and related activities, including participation in offshore environmental and exploration campaigns and (ii) scholarships for undergraduate and post graduate studies related to marine scientific research. Partnerships have also been established with Member States, academic and research institutions and industry stakeholders to support the participation of women scientists from LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS in different capacity-building activities.