Women in Geospatial+ - Changing the status-quo by creating a strong network of Women in Geospatial+ leaders and changemakers

Women in Geospatial+ is a professional network to promote gender-equality and diversity in the geospatial industry and academia. It started with a spontaneous call on Twitter one day before International Women’s Day in March 2019 and grew within nine months into a vibrant and active community with more than 800 registered members from all over the world and 3100+ followers on Twitter. The fast growing pace of this community is a sign that many of us still witness gender-bias in the workplace and more diversity-focused initiatives are needed.

This  community brings together women and other underrepresented genders in the geospatial field by providing a safe platform (Slack community) for open and honest communication and exchange. We promote and foster the professional development of our members by sharing geospatial news and job vacancies as well as articles about diversity and tips about leadership and career development. We also launched a year-long career mentorship program in September 2019.

Throughout the year we create opportunities to meet in person at geospatial conferences, where we regularly run “Career advancement” sessions, feature the work and achievements of women geospatial leaders and organise informal social events and meetups.

This presentation will highlight key activities of the Women in Geospatial+ network, tapping into some current facts and figures on diversity in the geospatial field. We will explain how to join the community and how you can contribute to its success and expansion. Let us change the status quo together by creating a strong network of Women in Geospatial+ leaders and changemakers.