2026

CSN Vice-President Pilar Lucio represents the Spanish regulator at the international forum dedicated to driving diversity and inclusion across the nuclear sector

The meeting reviewed the group’s strategic priorities and preliminary findings on female representation across the industry

The Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) has taken part in the fifth plenary meeting of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency’s (NEA) High-Level Group on Gender Balance (HLG-GB), held on 8 and 9 September in a hybrid format from Paris. CSN Vice-President Pilar Lucio represented the regulatory body at this international forum, aimed at fostering gender equality within the nuclear field and promoting policies that support diversity, inclusion, and the participation of women across the sector.

During the sessions, opened by NEA Director-General William D. Magwood IV and HLG-GB Chair Annemiek van Bolhuis, participants reviewed progress on the 2024–2026 work programme and discussed priorities for the 2027–2028 period.

Updates were also presented by the working sub-groups focusing on career progression and female leadership through GB-Advance, talent attraction via GB-Attract, retention of female professionals under the GB-Retain initiative, and the collection of key statistical indicators led by GB-Data.

As part of the presentations from key bodies and initiatives, Vice-President Lucio outlined the work undertaken by the Nuclear Regulators for Gender Equity (NRGE) network. Launched in 2024 with IAEA support, this initiative brings together more than thirty regulatory bodies and is co-chaired by Spain and South Africa.

The network, which collaborates with the NEA on gathering qualitative and quantitative gender equity data, aims to foster diversity, advance female careers in STEM disciplines, and promote greater representation of women in senior management and decision-making roles. During her address, Ms Lucio highlighted key network projects, such as the deployment of regional ambassadors to expand its global reach and the upcoming organisation of a dedicated session on female leadership at the IAEA General Conference.

The meeting also featured preliminary results from the 2026 gender equality data collection process, which are essential for drafting the monitoring report that the NEA will present to the OECD Council in 2027. Contributions were also made by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Women in Nuclear (WiN Global), strengthening strategic cooperation among international organisations to eliminate gender barriers in the sector.

For its part, the CSN continues to actively participate in this international network and to develop internal initiatives aimed at promoting equality, raising the visibility of female talent, carrying out outreach activities, and hosting exhibitions on women scientists. In this regard, the CSN Vice-President announced that the Spanish regulator is currently preparing a final evaluation of its internal Equality Plan.

HLG-GB

Gender equity is a strategic priority for the nuclear sector, where diversity is synonymous with innovation and performance. However, NEA data reveals that women account for only a quarter of the total workforce in member countries. This lower representation in scientific, technical, and leadership roles underscores the need to promote STEM education and female participation to strengthen the sector.
To address these challenges, in October 2023 the NEA Steering Committee for Nuclear Energy approved the creation of the HLG-GB, which started its work in January 2024. Its mandate focuses on facilitating the implementation and monitoring of OECD Council recommendations on gender equality in the nuclear sector. To this end, it collects and structures relevant data to inform policymakers, develops guidelines and tools, compiles best practices, and serves as a forum for discussion and action aimed at identifying barriers, promote inclusion strategies, and encourage the participation of women across the industry.