Only around 1 in 5 space industry workers are women – UN News

To highlightthis and other issues surrounding the pushforgender equality,Women in Space, has been chosen asthe theme for this yearsWorld Space Week, whichbegan on Monday.

The goal is to bring more awareness to the issue of gender diversity and identify the obstacles that women are facing when entering space-related careers and contribute to discussions onending disparities.

The UN also wants to show how women from different backgrounds and regions,facedifferent issuesand challengeswithin the industry.

Gender inequality is a long-standing and widespread issue in education and careers inScience, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics(STEM)fields,bothindeveloped and developing countries.

Recent research shows that women are still visibly underrepresented as researchers in STEM fields in all regions,averaging just28.8 percent, globally.

Overall, the number of women in the aerospace industry have fluctuated at around 20 percent for at least 30 years.Only 11 percentof astronautsso far,have been women.

To address some of those issues, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs(UNOOSA)launchedSpace4Women,to promote women's empowerment.

For Simonetta DiPippo, UNOOSAs Director, equality is the pre-condition for a better future.

Space for women means strengthened awareness, capacity, and skills, empowering young women and girls globally and promoting gender equality, shesays.

Over 560 people have traveled to space, butless than70of themare women.Ofthe 225 spacewalks that have been taken, only 15 were by women.

Women CEOsalsorepresent 19% of the leaders in aerospace anddefence, even though space tends to offer high earning jobs in afast growingsector, providing women with more financial freedomand empowerment.

In the future,90% ofalljobs will require STEM related skills and women mustpossessskills and education to be competitive in the future employment market,says UNOOSA.

According to the UN, to succeed in addressing the17Sustainable Development Goals,the worldmust ensure that the benefits of space reach women and girls and that women and girls play an active and equal role in space science, technology, innovation, and exploration.

On 4 October 1957, the launch of the first human-made Earth satellite, Sputnik 1,pavedthe way for space exploration.

From the very beginning of the Space Age, theUN hasrecognized that outer spacerepresented a new frontier for all humanity.

In 1958, the General Assembly adopted itsfirst resolution related to outer space, resolution 1348 (XIII) entitled "Question of the Peaceful Use of Outer Space".

Almost adecade later, on 10 October 1967, theTreaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies,entered into force.

Space science and technology and their applications are increasingly being used to support a wide range of UNactivities, with atleast 25 entities,and the World Bank Group,routinelymaking use oftechnological breakthroughsbeing developed.

NASA

NASA astronauts Christina Koch (left) and Jessica Meir work on their spacesuits ahead of a spacewalk they are conducting.

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Only around 1 in 5 space industry workers are women - UN News