When trying to promote gender equality, it is important to take a look at the position of women in leadership positions. Our institute consists of 1 scientific programme (B.USOC) and 5 scientific divisions (the Scientific directorate and 4 departments: Space physics, Sources & sinks of atmospheric constituents, Atmospheric reactive gases, Solar radiation in atmospheres). Each of these departments unite 3 of 4 research groups adding up to a total of 14. The functioning of the Institute is supported by 8 support services, of which the engineering service has two subgroups for electronics and mechanics.
Across the different levels of the hierarchy in our institute, women hold 9 out of 31 leadership positions (or 29%). Two persons (one male, one female) share the lead of the “Space weather” research group and the “Human resources”, each occupying ½ position.
Our Director General a.i. is female; she is also leading the Scientific directorate and the “Infrared observations” group. The four heads of division are male; at the end of 2020, three of them are cumulating this position with the lead of one of their research groups (“Tropospheric chemistry modeling”, “UV-visible observations” and “Limb sounding”).
Among the 28 persons occupying a leadership position (not weighted), we find 8 women (i.e. 29%), which coincides with the number of women in levels SW and A (40 women on a total of 137, i.e. 29%).