We particularly encourage submissions that offer solutions, best practices, or new initiatives fostering a more inclusive geoscience community. By bringing together these contributions, the session seeks to promote dialogue, raise awareness, and inspire actionable steps toward greater gender equity and diversity in the field.
PICO: Wed, 6 May, 08:30–10:15 | PICO spot 1b
This contribution integrates scientific leadership with personal experience to reflect on the opportunities and challenges faced by women in the geosciences. As a marine geologist, I have participated in more than 80 national and international oceanographic expeditions focused on submarine mapping and marine geohazard assessment. My research specializes in seafloor morphology and submarine volcanic environments, using high-resolution multibeam systems, autonomous underwater vehicles, and robotic technologies to investigate the submarine realm and reveal its hidden processes.
The presentation focuses on my leading role during the February 2025 Santorini volcanic crisis, when intensified tectono-magmatic activity northeast of the volcano required a rapid scientific response, interdisciplinary coordination, and decision-making under significant uncertainty. This experience highlights the importance of women’s representation in leadership positions during high-pressure scientific and societal contexts, where expertise, visibility, and trust are essential. My research on submarine volcanic systems affected by seismicity and deformation contributes directly to the evaluation of future eruption scenarios and hazard preparedness, illustrating how fundamental research can translate into tangible societal impact.
Within the framework of this session, I will share reflections on career progression in a fieldwork-intensive discipline, addressing challenges such as long-term participation in offshore expeditions, work-life balance, and structural barriers that can limit women’s access to leadership roles. I emphasize the essential role of mentoring, inclusive research environments, and institutional support in retaining and advancing women in marine and field-based geosciences. As an academic and educator, I am actively engaged in mentoring and strive to serve as a visible role model for young women considering careers in marine exploration and Earth sciences.
My scientific contributions are reflected in a strong record of peer-reviewed publications and active participation in international conferences. In 2025, I was awarded the Fisher Medal by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI) in recognition of my work on submarine volcano morphology and tectonic structures. By sharing personal insights alongside scientific achievements, this contribution aims to foster dialogue, highlight best practices, and inspire greater participation of women in geoscience and in science more broadly.
How to cite: Nomikou, P.: A Woman Revealing Seafloor Secrets: Experiences of a Marine Geologist during the Santorini Volcanic Crisis, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-5140, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-5140, 2026.
This study examines gendered dynamics within the geoscience domain of Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), a major research institution in Southeast Asia. The institution has undergone extensive restructuring in recent years that coincides with the former presidential term. With the changes made, performance-based evaluations and centralized procedures became the core of researchers’ work. The policies and regulations introduced practical constraints across the agency, including complex funding processes, limited autonomy in laboratory work, and inadequate facilities for storing field and laboratory samples. These challenges are felt across disciplines but accumulate more intensely in geoscience, where most research depends simultaneously on fieldwork, (large) physical samples, and laboratory analysis.
Using in-depth interviews (n=30) and focus group discussions (FGD), the study finds that these formally equal conditions affect researchers differently. Especially, mothers, who typically carry a full-time caregiving role alongside their full-time research role, experience these constraints more sharply. Mothers receive increased understanding and flexibility regarding their time and participation (in field- and lab-work, handling samples, etc.). However, this accommodation does not reproduce their labour power as researchers but reinforces their caregiving responsibilities. As mothers repeatedly enact the expectations attached to this given framework, the institution comes to treat the subsequent performances as natural and appropriate. In this way, mother, distinguished from female or male, emerges as a third institutional gender, with its own norms and performances. Ultimately, ‘mother’ becomes a site where conservative ideologies are reproduced.
How to cite: Erkan, D., Santoso, W., Murena Paramita, T., Cahyarini, S. Y., and Vogel, H.: Institution's Third Gender: The Making of Mother in Geoscience at Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-739, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-739, 2026.
Women in geosciences face enduring, often interconnected barriers throughout their careers. These challenges include limited access to mentorship and academic support, feeling isolated within their institutions, difficulties balancing work and personal life, and cultural or structural inequities that disproportionately affect marginalised communities. Despite the growing emphasis on diversity, many still feel pressured to minimise or conceal aspects of their identities to "fit in."
GeoLatinas emerged in 2018 as a grassroots response to these issues: a not-for-profit, international, member-driven organisation created by and for Latin American geoscientists. What started as a platform to showcase the work of Latinas in geosciences has grown into a global network built on shared purpose, solidarity, and a collective commitment to scientific excellence. Our model emphasises co-leadership, volunteer participation, and knowledge exchange to expand access to resources and opportunities, amplify diverse voices, and build a genuine sense of belonging within Earth and Planetary Sciences. GeoLatinas was built to empower Latina geoscientists, honour and celebrate our cultural identities, and enhance and strengthen our collective contribution to Earth, Ocean and Planetary Sciences.
At its core, GeoLatinas is grounded in the principles of circular, community-driven organisation. Our structure is collaborative by design, enabling and encouraging members at all career stages to assume roles that align with their interests, individual expertise, and the community's needs. Through core initiatives such as the mentoring program, virtual office (IMPETU), PERLA, Conversando con GeoLatinas, and weekly check-ins, the members of our community connect with peers and role models who understand their lived experiences and professional landscapes, often providing their first sustained support system within the discipline. Together, these initiatives collectively advance professional development, communication, visibility, and a strong sense of community.
Here, we present the development and evolution of the GeoLatinas community as a case study for community-driven inclusivity and collaborative growth. We describe how strategic co-production, shared leadership, and culturally responsive mentorship have cultivated resilience, improved retention, fostered belonging, created safe spaces, and supported professional growth among members. Practices that offer a framework for building equitable, supportive, and thriving geoscience communities globally.
How to cite: Gomez Correa, M. A., Vásquez, A. C., Millán, J. G., Avila-Velasquez, D. I., Barragán-Montilla, S., Guatame-Garcia, A., Navarro-Pérez, D., Rosa-Marín, A., and Caballero-Gill, R. P.: GeoLatinas: a community-driven model for mentorship, belonging, and inclusive leadership in geoscience, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-1158, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-1158, 2026.
Achieving gender equality and building inclusive organisational cultures remain key challenges across the geosciences. EPOS ERIC — the European Plate Observing System European Research Infrastructure Consortium, established in 2018 with the mission to provide long-term, sustainable and open access to multidisciplinary solid Earth science data and services — has addressed these challenges through a rapid and structured implementation of its Gender Equality Plan (GEP) fully embedded within a strong institutional commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
The EPOS ERIC GEP is structured around the five priority areas recommended by the European Commission: i) work–life balance; ii) gender-balanced leadership; iii) fair and inclusive recruitment and career progression; iv) integration of gender and DEI considerations into research activities; and v) measures addressing gender-based violence, harassment and discrimination. Implementation is supported by clear objectives, indicators, responsibilities and annual monitoring processes. Several measures are now consolidated, including inclusive language guidelines, DEI-compliant job calls and contracts, gender-balanced recruitment committees, equitable training opportunities, and gender-aware event organisation.
In a relatively short time span (2022–2025), EPOS ERIC has developed, approved and operationalised a comprehensive set of DEI-oriented policies and documents that complement and reinforce the GEP (December 2023), including: EPOS Inclusive Language Guidelines (2025); EPOS ERIC Code of Ethics (May 2025) and Code of Conduct (December 2025), introducing clear behavioural expectations, guidelines for reporting channels and protective measures to ensure safe and inclusive working and event environments.
Two internal DEI surveys conducted in 2022 and 2025 show clear, consistent progress across all assessed dimensions. Staff report a sense of trust in EPOS ERIC’s DEI commitment, a marked improvement in organisational climate, and a more inclusive and participatory leadership culture. Work–life balance is perceived as significantly better supported, and respondents highlight more balanced participation in meetings, and higher awareness of rights, responsibilities and procedures. Improvements are especially evident in perceptions of respect, collaboration and psychological safety. Furthermore, a reporting mechanism that guarantees anonymous reporting, confidentiality, and the prevention of retaliation will be established in 2026.
Remaining challenges include strengthening gender integration within research content. EPOS ERIC’s experience demonstrates how an international organisation in solid Earth science research can translate DEI and gender-equality commitments into effective institutional practice within a short timeframe, offering a scalable and replicable model.
How to cite: Maracchia, G., Paciello, R., Tanlongo, F., Freda, C., Sangianantoni, A., Bailo, D., and Piras, D.: Implementing Gender Equality and DEI in Geoscience: the Experience of EPOS ERIC, a Research Infrastructure Serving the Needs of the Solid Earth Science Community, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-7911, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-7911, 2026.
The analysis of documents and datasets aimed at assessing the current state of gender equality at the Geological Survey of Italy highlights several critical gaps: (i) gender variability is rarely considered in gender data collection; (ii) domestic workload is not quantified in official reports; and (iii) efforts to increase women’s representation in STEM are not matched by comparable initiatives aimed at making careers traditionally perceived as feminine more attractive to men. This imbalance reinforces widespread gender stereotypes that distinguish between “first-tier” careers - also accessible to women but still largely male-dominated - and “second-tier” careers.
This contribution seeks to highlight these gaps and presents the results of a survey administered to employees of the Geological Survey of Italy. The survey pursues multiple objectives: collecting data on gender variability, quantifying gender imbalance in domestic work and assessing whether gender disparities also affect fieldwork activities.
Preliminary results suggest that this type of survey, developed with the support of social scientists and administered at regular intervals in public universities, offices and research institutes, could represent an effective tool for addressing these issues. The dissemination of questionnaires and the sharing of results would help quantify gender variability and disparities while simultaneously raising awareness, thereby laying the groundwork for identifying concrete solutions to problems of which we are not always aware. As previously observed for data on female leadership, the systematic quantification of these aspects may ultimately enable the adoption of targeted measures aimed at reducing gender disparities.
How to cite: Radeff, G., Garzarella, A., Lettieri, M. T., and D'Ambrogi, C.: What’s Missing? Gaps in Gender Data Collection and Evidence from the Geological Survey of Italy, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-11271, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-11271, 2026.
Gender disparity is a global issue affecting every field, particularly at professional level even in the developed economies. Many conclude that while the main causes of female resignment at the age 25-40 are sociocultural imbalance issues, numerous organizational restrictions act as major obstacles after age 40. This paper attempted to draw policy implications by analyzing the differences between school years and workplaces using Porter’s Diamond Model. The four elements, or corners of Porter’s Diamond, are found to pose different effects on different categories of gender equality. Accounting the simple gender structure in school level, gender equality issue is rather straightforward in alignment with other values like justice and diligence. Having no conflict of interests, strategy enforcement only requires good policy drivers. Unfortunately, the situation gets complicated in workplaces as individual circumstances vary case by case. The situation is further thwarted in South Korea with diminishing childbirth rate and aging society. As improving fertility rate is another national agenda, conflicting governmental policies are introduced to cause confusion in society. It is now clear that there is no one-fits-all-solution, and conflict of interests arises in multiple directions: among adults depending on the number of dependents and between the generations as children are also entitled to human rights. Hence, the policy should now aim to decouple women empowerment from child welfare. For this purpose, increasing flexibility in the labor market in terms of jobs types, working hours, and working status is critical to remove unnecessary struggles towards gender equality: equal opportunity to empowerment available to any capable individual, regardless of gender and circumstances.
Keywords: Porter’s Diamond Model, gender equality, national competitiveness, glass ceiling, professional level, STEM
How to cite: Lee, M. and Kim, H.: Comparing successful gender gap closure in education system to failure at the professional level using Porter’s Diamond Model, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-4792, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-4792, 2026.
STEM disciplines remain predominantly male, with a persistent underrepresentation of women throughout academic career paths and in leadership positions, and the geosciences are no exception. According to the She Figures 2025 report, while the proportion of women among doctoral graduates in Earth sciences disciplines has increased, their representation progressively declines at the postdoctoral stage, in access to permanent positions, and in decision-making roles. This pattern reflects the well-documented leaky pipeline phenomenon within geosciences. This attrition does not arise from a lack of talent or vocation, but from the cumulative impact of structural barriers that shape women’s professional trajectories in science.
The experience presented here is situated within the Earth Sciences Department of the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), with a specific focus on the Climate Variability and Change (CVC) group. A group-driven initiative emerged within the climate group to identify and address gender-related obstacles affecting career development. Through a structured, top-down diagnostic process conducted within the institutional framework, group-specific challenges were identified, including explicit and implicit gender biases, inequities in evaluation and promotion processes, and the disproportionate burden of unrecognized service and care-related tasks (academic housekeeping). We present the different measures taken to address these issues and evaluate their impact based on changes in group dynamics, recognition of the work of women employees, and increased awareness of existing gender-related problems amongst all members of the group.
This action is embedded in and strongly supported by Equity4ES, the equity initiative of the Earth Sciences Department, which provides a collective, bottom-up space for awareness-raising, dialogue, and action on equity and inclusion in scientific environments. Crucially, the Institutional Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Unit at BSC has proven to be a real asset in this process, providing continuity, institutional backing, and the capacity to translate local diagnoses and grassroots initiatives into concrete policy actions, notably through the development and implementation of the Gender Equality Plan. The experience is structured around three complementary levels of action: (i) group-level initiatives within the CVC group, (ii) departmental bottom-up engagement through Equity4ES, and (iii) institutional framing and policy support provided by the permanent EDI Unit at BSC, highlighting the importance of synergies between all.
How to cite: Sicardi, V., Puga Villanueva, M. G., Santos-Espeso, A., Matin-Martinez, E., Agudetse, V., Yousef, Y., Piñero-Megías, C., and Moco Lopes, H.: Making Equity Actionable in Earth Sciences: Aligning Group-Level Initiatives and Institutional Support, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-21077, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-21077, 2026.
Women’s participation in geosciences and the extractive sector has increased over recent decades; however, significant gender disparities persist across regions and career stages. Despite strong representation at undergraduate and early-career levels, women remain markedly underrepresented in senior academic, technical, and decision-making positions [1], particularly within mining, raw materials, and energy-related industries. Structural barriers—including gender bias, limited access to leadership roles, career instability, and challenges in work–life balance—continue to constrain women’s long-term retention and professional advancement across Europe, South America, and Africa.
This contribution provides a comparative analysis of women’s roles in geosciences and in the extractive sector, drawing on interdisciplinary approach and professional experience from European Union countries (focusing on Italy, Spain, Portugal), South America (Brazil), and Africa (Mozambique). In Europe, institutional gender-equality frameworks have supported women’s entry into geoscience education, yet vertical segregation and uneven career progression remain prevalent [2]. In South America, women increasingly contribute to mineral resources research, environmental monitoring, and sustainable mining practices, although disparities in access to funding, institutional recognition, and industry–academia integration persist. In African contexts, women play a critical role in artisanal and large scale mining, environmental management, and community engagement, but face compounded barriers related to education access, professional networks and work–life balance.
The analysis highlights that gender inclusion represents a strategic opportunity to enhance innovation, governance quality, and resilience in addressing highly demanding issues such as raw material supply, environmental risks, and the main challenges associated with the green and digital transitions; in these sector, geosciences—ranging from a solid foundation in geology and Earth sciences to more applied disciplines—play a crucial role. Integrating gender equity into Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks has been shown to improve risk management, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable decision-making in the extractive sector [3]. Aligning women’s participation with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals—particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), and SDG 13 (Climate Action)—is therefore essential to ensure that geosciences-driven solutions are both effective and equitable.
This contribution argues that reducing the gender gap in geosciences and mining is not only a matter of social justice but a strategic requirement for responsible resource governance and a sustainable energy transition. Targeted actions across education, academia, and industry—such as mentoring programmes, inclusive leadership pathways, gender-responsive training, and transparent ESG metrics—are key to fostering the entry, retention, and advancement of women in geoscience-related professions.
[1] Bernstein, D., 2024. A Path to Gender Equity in the Geosciences: Empowering Women Postdocs. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc.,105: E686–E689, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-22-0116.1
[2] Agnini, C., Pamato, M.G., Salviulo, G., Barchi, K.I., Nestola, F., 2020. Women in geosciences within the Italian University system in the last 20 years. Adv. Geosci., 53: 155–167, https://doi.org/10.5194/adgeo-53-155-2020
[3] Kincaid, C., Smith, N.M., 2021. Diversity and inclusion in mining: An analysis of indicators used in sustainability reporting. The Extractive Industries and Society, 8 (4):100981. ISSN 2214-790X. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exis.2021.100981
How to cite: Dino, G. A., Horta Ribeiro Antunes, M. I., Bellopede, R., Chiappino, C., Egidio, E., Gambino, F., Gioiello, S., Lasagna, M., Lozar, F., Mancini, S., Marques Ayres Da Silva, A. L., Montomoli, C., Pereira, D., and Santos, L.: Women in Geosciences and extractive sector: Structural Barriers and Strategic Opportunities for a Sustainable Transition, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-20820, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-20820, 2026.
Hydrogeology is the science that focuses on the water, that is essential for the development of societies and above all, for human health. It is strongly associated with demanding work, including sampling, measurements, field experiments and long field campaigns. Traditionally, the profession of hydrogeologists was male dominated, due to the hard and demanding nature of field works.
Today, however, all the water-related issues present major challenges, because of climate change, multiple environmental pressures, water stress, the deterioration of water quality, and the lack of rational water management. Addressing these challenges is necessary to have strict and careful planning, scientific accuracy, interdisciplinary collaboration, direct and effective communication, and rapid decision-making.
Nowadays, women hydrogeologists are highly active in all over the world and have all these skills and qualities and they have made remarkable contributions to the field of hydrogeology. Many women are experts in groundwater engineering and hydrogeology, and they work as excellent professionals, senior researchers, professors whether working in the field or in laboratories. Women’s presence and participation are essential and crucial to the development of new techniques and tools for advancing sustainable water management. There is a new reality for the women of this field, who have built and earned through hard work, patience and clear thinking, not only in hydrogeology but in many fields of geosciences.
How to cite: Vasileiou, E. and Balacco, G.: Women in the field of Hydrogeology. New Perspectives and Opportunities, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-21207, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-21207, 2026.
Palaeomagnetism has long been shaped by researchers who navigate remote fieldwork, complex instrumentation, and interdisciplinary scientific questions. For women in this field, these scientific challenges often intersect with gender-specific experiences, including underrepresentation in career opportunities, uneven expectations regarding physical capability, implicit biases related to field readiness, and in the worst cases even bullying and harassment. These dynamics influence not only access to field and laboratory activities, but also visibility, authorship, and leadership within the discipline. Such experiences have a profound effect on one's career path, often in ways that are quite subtle yet additive over time.
Nevertheless, women palaeomagnetists report strong sources of satisfaction: the thrill of recovering ancient geomagnetic signals, the creativity involved in integrating diverse geoscience methods, and the sense of community fostered within collaborative research environments. This contribution aims to report the experience of women in palaeomagnetism from the CIMaN-ALP palaeomagnetic laboratory in Italy, illustrating how obstacles and achievements coexist, and how supportive networks and evolving institutional practices are contributing to a more inclusive scientific community. And after all, diamonds are rocks too, even if they refuse to be magnetic!
How to cite: Tema, E., Satolli, S., Shajahan, R., and Zanella, E.: Women in Palaeomagnetism: Rocks are the girls’ best friends, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-10221, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-10221, 2026.
In Spain, enrollment in Geology degrees has dropped by 73% since 2000, accompanied by an average first-year dropout rate of 37%. At the University of the Basque Country, this decline is even higher, reaching 48.9%. These trends raise concerns about academic performance and student retention, prompting a group of faculty members from the Geology Department to implement studies aimed at improving engagement and learning outcomes. Results highlighted the need to strengthen students’ vocational awareness and suggested a potential gender bias in self-perception of abilities, an issue worth addressing since women represent over 40% of students (female teachers accounted for only 26% in 2017/18, rising to 37.5% in 2025/26).
Building on these insights, a new line of work focused on metacognitive skills, specifically students’ ability to distinguish between observation-based data and interpretation. To gather precise information, a survey was conducted over three academic years (2023/24, 2024/25, 2025/26) with second-year students. The instrument included: (i) Eight statements on geological topics, requiring classification as either observation (data) or interpretation, to assess discrimination ability rather than factual knowledge; (ii) Self-assessment of skills for data collection and interpretation in two contexts (fieldwork and laboratory); and (iii) Self-identified gender.
Results revealed no differences in actual performance between male and female students, as both groups were equally accurate in classifying statements. However, a distinctive pattern emerged when two indices of metacognitive monitoring were applied. The Calibration Index (CI), which measures the discrepancy between confidence judgments and performance, showed similar values for both genders, indicating that the overall gap between perception and performance was comparable. In contrast, the Bias Index (BI), which measures the direction of judgment error (positive values indicate overconfidence, negative values under-confidence), revealed that male students consistently overestimated their abilities across all tasks, whereas female students displayed more accurate self-perceptions and even slightly conservative estimates in some activities.
These findings suggest that gender differences are not explained by performance but by self-assessment bias, revealed through systematic male overconfidence. Addressing this gender-related bias, along with strategies to strengthen vocational awareness and metacognitive skills, is crucial for improving retention and academic success in Geology programs.
How to cite: Gardoki, J., Irabien, M. J., García de Madinabeitia, S., Arriolabengoa, M., and Zuluaga, M. C.: Same performance, different confidence: gender bias in geoscience students, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-1634, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-1634, 2026.
As a key branch of the STEM fields, geoscience has been facing challenges of gender imbalance for a long time, with women encountering systematic barriers in career advancement, fieldwork, and disciplinary culture. Based on a strategic analysis of Australia's Pathway to Diversity in STEM Review Final Recommendations and considering the unique disciplinary characteristics of geoscience, this paper systematically examines the experiential challenges women face in the field and their structural causes. An integrated implementation framework is constructed, encompassing four key pathways: gender-sensitive reforms in the education system, innovative supportive institutional practices, embedding gender indicators into policy and funding systems, and fostering international collaborative networks. It proposes that future efforts should focus on strengthening local empirical research, promoting the transformation of evaluation mechanisms, and enhancing cross-sectoral leadership. This aims to deeply integrate gender equality into the developmental fabric of geoscience, providing a reference for building an inclusive and excellent geoscientific community.
How to cite: Su, H.: Challenges for Chinese Women in the Field of Geosciences and Enlightenments from Australia’s STEM Diversity Strategy, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-4137, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-4137, 2026.
