The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) has celebrated the first anniversary of the region’s first ‘Women in Nuclear’ (WiN) Chapter, the global organisation that supports the role of women in the nuclear industry around the world.

Established in 2014, Enec’s WiN Chapter is the first of its kind in the Middle East and is supported by Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of International Cooperation and Development, said a statment.

“Developing women in such an important industry that will enhance the future social and economic growth of our nation is innovative as well as necessary. Women have an important role in communicating the benefits of nuclear energy and reassuring society on the facts about health and safety. The UAE’s commitment to on-going development is recognised internationally as setting a high standard,” said Sheikha Lubna.

As part of the anniversary celebration, two industry events were held in Abu Dhabi and at Enec’s Barakah site in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi, held under the sponsorship of Westinghouse Electric Company, a sub-contractor of Enec’s prime contractor Korea Electric Power Company (Kepco).

The event saw a gathering of industry leaders, and included opening speeches from Jeff Benjamin, senior vice president of New Plants and Major Projects, and Joni Falascino, vice president of Project Delivery in the New Plants and Major Projects, at Westinghouse – who together have more than 50 years of experience in the nuclear industry.

Mohamed Al Hammadi, Enec’s chief executive officer, said: “To safely deliver a project of the scale and complexity of the UAE peaceful nuclear energy program it takes a large and diverse team, and I am proud that of our 1400 employees today, over 21 percent of these highly skilled professionals are female, more than the global average of just over 20 per cent for females in nuclear professions worldwide.”

Meanwhile, Enec also supports an increasing number of female students through its Energy Pioneers scholarship programme – the future nuclear energy leaders who will oversee safe operations of the country’s first nuclear energy plant when it begins operations in 2017.

Currently over 29 per cent of students in ENEC’s educational programs are female, with that figure increasing to 34 per cent in the Higher Diploma in Nuclear Technology (HDNT) programm.

Huda Al Hashimi, Enec’s group external affairs director, said: “These talented females are playing an active role in delivering a project that will have a direct and lasting impact on the continued growth and development of our nation, contributing to an industry that will deliver up to a quarter of the nation’s energy needs by 2020.

“Enec is committed to providing a world-class and supportive working environment for all our employees, and the success of our WiN Chapter over the past year is yet another example of how we are bringing this vision to life.” - TradeArabia News Service