The Asia-Pacific Leadership Network joins Gender Champions in Nuclear Policy
On May 30th, 2023, Gender Champions in Nuclear Policy welcomed a new member to its leadership network: Asia-Pacific Leadership Network (APLN) Executive Director Shatabisha Shetty. Shetty became the 83rd leader of a nuclear policy organization to join the Gender Champions in Nuclear Policy network, and APLN is the network’s first partner based in East Asia.
As a Gender Champion, Shetty will uphold the Panel Parity Pledge, and implement four SMARTIE commitments:
- Actively enhance diversity within the Network by recruiting and engaging more women and individuals from underrepresented countries in the Asia-Pacific region, aiming to bring the membership gender ratio to at least 40/60 by the end of 2024, and 50/50 by the end of 2025. This will be accomplished through specific recruitment strategies, increased opportunities for involvement and leadership roles, and monitoring progress towards diversity goals.
- Engage and foster the next generation of experts and leaders in the field of nuclear policy. This will be achieved by creating mentorship programs, providing more opportunities for early-career experts to participate in events and research projects, and building partnerships with emerging leader initiatives.
- Improve the gender balance in our research commissioning practices and publication record, aiming to have women as 45% of our authors every year by the end of 2023, and 50% by the end of 2024. This will ensure that a greater proportion of women are invited to contribute as authors, reviewers, and editors. We will establish and adhere to targets for gender balance in our research publications, and conduct regular reviews to monitor progress and identify areas for improvement. By doing so, we hope to promote greater gender diversity and inclusion in the nuclear policy community, and inject fresh ideas into trite policy debates.
“I am proud to be a Gender Champion in Nuclear Policy. It rests on us – as leaders, as decision makers, as influencers – to do everything in our power to encourage women to consider pursuing a career in nuclear. Gender equity is more than a priority for the CNSC, it is a core value that helps to define our organization.” said President Velshi.
APLN strives to not only address nuclear weapons risks but also challenge structural and systemic biases in traditional security debates across our region and the wider nuclear community. They recognize that diversity, equality, and inclusion are essential in ensuring comprehensive and effective policy outcomes.
You can find the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission on Twitter @APLNofficial