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International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists (INWES)

The International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists (INWES) is a global network of organizations that supports women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). INWES is a non-governmental organization issued under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act and has a consultative status as an NGO at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC). INWES oversees the ICWES series of conferences.

The INWES has as its mission to build a better world by ensuring participation of women and girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

INWES is governed by a board consisting of directors from the membership and an executive committee for daily operations of the organization. President for 2017-2020 is Gail Mattson. The immediate past president is Kong Joo Lee.

Activities

One of the key functions of INWES is to oversee the triennial International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists (ICWES). Other activities include Regional Conferences in between ICWES, and creating regional networks to better support local women in STEM groups and organizations. INWES also supports the start establishment of organization of women in STEM at the country level by providing sample bylaws and guidelines, sharing ideas for the activities, and promoting these new organizations.

There is a website for information on women in STEM, including a newsletter which is published every quarter of a year and link to websites of organizational members. For advocacy, INWES collaborates with and participates with UNESCO and the United Nations on international campaigns to raise awareness about STEM issues. To increase awareness, access to education, and career opportunities for girls and women, it is important to provide resources for professional development, and distribute these materials and collaborate with organizations and corporations.

ICWES

The first International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists (ICWES) was held in 1964 and has been held every 3 years since then. INWES calls for proposals across the globe. Each ICWES is led by a partnership that includes as a key contributor a local INWES member organization.

A full list of ICWES conferences can be found on the INWES website.

ICWES18 will be held in Coventry, United Kingdom in 2020.

Regional Networks

INWES has established the INWES regional networks help to foster and promote its activities in a physically close at a more local level and similar time zone region, because they have where common interests as well as and regional problems that can be solved together with collective wisdom considering the regional context.

The first Regional Network, for Asia & Pacific Nation Network (APNN), was initiated at ICWES15 in Australia in 2011.

African Region Network (ARN) was launched in 2014 at ICWES16.

INWES-Europe was launched at a Regional Conference in Germany, 2016.

The Regional Network for Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) was launched in 2018 at a Regional Conference in Tunisia.

INWES Educational and Research Institute (ERI)

A key partner to INWES.

In November 2007, the INWES Educational and Research Institute (ERI) was established as a Canadian charitable organization to advance education and research in the fields of women in STEM through funding of special projects. By the Canadian Law for Charities, INWES and the ERI have to be at arms-length of each other.

History

On June 15-21, 1964, the first International Conference for Women in Science and Engineering (ICWES) was held in New York attended with 500 people from 35 countries.

At the World Conference on Science for the 21st Century in 1999, convened by the UNESCO and the International Council for Science in Budapest, Article 90 was adopted encouraging special efforts to be made toward the establishment of an international network of women scientists and engineers. In addition, it was important to create a formal organization that overlooks ICWES conferences.

Through the support and encouragement of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, and a successful grant from UNESCO (Paris), 20 women representing 10 countries and 8 organizations met in Canada, May 2001, to explore the creation of such a network.

In July 2002, ICWES12 delegates supported the creation of the International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists (INWES). The vote from representatives of all countries was unanimous.

In April 2003, INWES was incorporated as a non-profit corporation under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act. A provisional Board was elected for three years; the founding members and executive committee were Monique Frize (President), Gail Mattson (Treasurer), and Claire Deschênes (Secretary General).

In August 2005, at ICWES13 (Seoul, Korea) hosted by KWSE (The Association of Korean Woman Scientists and Engineers), the first general meeting of INWES was held and the first Board of Directors was elected; the Executive Committee remained the same for the next three years.

In April 2008, INWES became an official NGO partner of the operational type with UNESCO (later changed in 2012 to consultative status as UNESCO changed their directives).

As of October 2008, INWES had become a large international network representing over 250,000 women in 60 countries around the globe.

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At ICWES16 in L.A., 2014, hosted by SWE (Society of Women Engineers, USA), celebrating 50 years of ICWES conferences, the second regional network, and Kong-Joo Lee was re-elected as president.

In September 2015, the creation of INWES Europe, as the third regional network, was discussed. While unity in Europe is in some question and politicians argue, it becomes even more important that women scientists and engineers across Europe are connected by the newly launched INWES Europe. INWES Europe was launched at the INWES Regional Conference held in Freising, Germany on the 4th November 2016.

At ICWES17 in New Delhi, 2017, hosted by Women in Science and Engineering India (WISE India), Gail Mattson was elected as president and it was declared that ICWES18 would be held hosted by University of Warwick in England, 2020.

References to use or Info to add

Fact Sheet INWES and website: www.inwes.org

Fact Sheet ERI and website: www.inwes-eri.org

Report of the 2014 Asia and Pacific Nation Network (APNN) Meeting (ISSN 2287-4232)

ICWES11 hosted by SJWS, S. Kizaka-Kondoh, Activities of the Society of Japanese Women Scientists, Gender Summit 6 - Asia Pacific 2015, 26-28 August 2015, South Korea, https://www.gender-summit.com/Gender_Summit_Program_Book.pdf

Example of regional conference http://www.unesco.org/new/en/member-states/single-view/news/the_2013_inwes_regional_conference_international_network_of/

"15th International Conference for Women Engineers and Scientists: Leadership, Innovation, Sustainability". www.unesco.org. Retrieved 2017-02-27.  Text " United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization" ignored (help)

Julie E. Mills, Suzanne Franzway, Judith Gill, Rhonda Sharp, “Challenging Knowledge, Sex and Power: Gender, Work and Engineering”, Routledge, 2013 (ISBN 978-0-415-67686-1)

https://www.itu.int/en/Lists/consultationOct2017/Attachments/53/ITU%20Consultation%20on%20Gender%20Divide%20INWES%20Europe%20response.pdf