Balancing the future space workforce: A European perspective

The aerospace sector has traditionally had an unbalanced representation of women at different hierarchical levels. These unbalances have not gone unnoticed and have sparked a series of initiatives across the board, in line with current global trends that are promoting the inclusion of women in all aspects of the labour force. Many programs have been implemented, either conducted at the individual firm level or through associations such as the IAF, with its 3G diversity initiative, and the United Nations, with its initiative on Space for Women, and the association Women in Aerospace Europe, to name a few. The latter association, in agreement with its members, has recently appointed a Director of Research, that will attempt to add a layer of previously missing information that may support the aerospace industry during the on-going transition towards a more diverse workforce. This article is an outline of the main research topics that the new Director of Research has identified in these first few months in office, and in preliminary consultations with women in leading positions in the field. It is meant to constitute a first proposal, a canvas, through which discussion can be stimulated and new questions can be brought to the fore. It will include considerations both on historical data that may be useful to collect and disseminate, as well as an outline for research on three key fields: company practices, the perspectives of individual women, and program outcomes. Its asp a call for a cooperation within the field towards more open data sharing between organisations, that could greatly contribute towards a more rigorous research and greater insights for all involved.