STEM Professional Women's Exclusion in the Canadian Space Industry: Reclaiming their Space

Day: Wednesday 10 February 2021
Time: 14:00-15:00 CET

This event will showcase the 'how' of exclusion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-professional women from management and executive positions in the contemporary Canadian space industry. Building on empirical evidence collected from a variety of individuals working across the Canadian space industry, Dr. Stefanie Ruel will provide some examples of day-to-day discourses that contribute to the creation and reproduction of identity anchor points that can position STEM-professional women below White cisgender STEM-professional men. She will also consider the potential for social change across this industry, looking first to the histories of Canadian women working in the space industry during the early Cold War and second inviting everyone to become part of the solution with respect to systemic discrimination practices in the contemporary space industry. Dr. Ruel, mother to four children, a former Mission Manager in Life Sciences at the Canadian Space Agency and now an academic, led more than ten life sciences missions into space aboard various microgravity platforms. She is now a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Organizational Behavior in the Department for People and Organizations, Faculty of Business and Law, at the Open University, UK. Her award-winning research, including her recent book titled “STEM-Professional Women's Exclusion in the Canadian Space Industry”, focuses on both historical and contemporary concerns in STEM contexts, striving to suggest social justice initiatives that can undo systemic discriminatory practices.

Introduction

Pascale EHRENFREUND

President, International Space University (ISU), President of Committee on Space Research (COSPAR)

France

Deganit PAIKOWSKY

Lecturer, Department of International Relations, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Israel

Speaker

Stefanie RUEL

Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Organizational Behavior in the Department for People and Organizations, Open University, UK

Canada