International Women’s Day, on March 8th, has long been marked as a day to recognise and celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. In the 112 years since the day first started, much has changed in terms of women’s rights and gender parity, but there is clearly still a long way to go.
Gender inequality is particularly prevalent in some fields such as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Take the international space industry as an example, the UN reported that the number of women employed in that industry represents just a fifth of the workforce; and what’s more, this is roughly the same proportion as it was 30 years ago. Women are not only less likely to pursue a career in STEM, but are also more likely leave a STEM role than their male counterparts.
Why does it matter?
Well, STEM serves to advance knowledge and solve problems, and by increasing the number of women working in STEM, it helps to ensure that women are better represented across the board. It stands to reason that a solution designed by a team of men will not have considered the problem from a women’s point of view so won’t have taken women’s needs and thoughts into account. You only have to look as far as NASA’s well known issue with spacesuits, which were designed for men, by men (and so proved unsuitable for female astronauts) to see the problem in action.
Although this is an extreme example of how gender bias can impact operations and outcomes, the argument still rings true across all sectors including the satcom industry, albeit in more subtle ways. Having a gender balanced workforce is important because diversity in the workforce brings a variety of ideas and perspectives. This can lead to better outcomes in terms of scientific research, profitability, productivity, and innovation. According to the International Labour Organisation, when boards are gender-balanced, companies are almost 20% more likely to have enhanced business outcomes.
Women in Satcom
Although there hasn’t been much increase overall in the number of women working in STEM fields, we are starting to see women breaking into fields that have long been dominated by men. The satellite industry is one such example of this, where a growing number of women are undertaking leadership roles and are making a significant impact.
This is certainly true of the Satcoms Innovation Group (SIG) where we have Helen Weedon in the role of Managing Director. Before her appointment in 2020, Helen had long played a pivotal role in SIG and in her leadership role, she is really helping to drive forward innovation within the industry. Helen is also working with SSPI-WISE, a group that sit under SSPI that focuses on supporting and encouraging women to engage with the space and satellite industry.
At SIG, alongside Helen, we also have two recently appointed female Directors, Angela Wheeler and Dasha Tyshlek. Angela Wheeler, who is Director of Network Operations at Intelsat, has worked in the industry for over 25 years. Her technical knowledge and experience is second to none, and she has played a key role in the development and understanding around interference mitigation. Angela was instrumental in managing the operational impacts to customers and services during the handling of the infamous G-15 ZombieSat.
Dasha Tyshlek, Director of Business Development at Micro-Ant, has achieved a considerable amount of success in the satellite industry, in a relatively short space of time. She graduated from the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science and has gone on to apply her considerable technical knowledge and excellent leadership skills to support Micro-Ant to develop and deploy its antenna products.
While these women, and many others, have achieved great success in the satellite industry, they are still in the minority. Encouraging more women to pursue careers in this field can be challenging, but there are a number of initiatives and opportunities that can help. Organizations like SSPI-WISE as already mentioned, along with Women in Aerospace, provide networking, mentoring, and professional development opportunities for women in the industry.
Additionally, many companies and organizations offer internships and scholarship programs specifically for women interested in pursuing careers in the satellite industry. These programs provide valuable hands-on experience and can help to pave the way for future careers in the field.
A bright future
Inspiring girls to develop an interest in STEM at a young age is important, as is breaking down the conscious and unconscious bias that prevents more women from going in to and staying in STEM fields such as satcoms.
The satellite industry offers many exciting opportunities for women, and with the right support and encouragement, we will continue to see more women making a significant impact in the field. The fact that we’re seeing an influx of women in leadership positions is a great sign for the future of the field. However, encouraging more women to join the industry still remains a challenge and initiatives like SSPI-WISE are playing a vital role in helping women navigate the industry. With support and encouragement, there’s no doubt that we will see more women doing great things in the satellite industry in the future.