International Day of Women and Girls in Science – A Message from Clare Sharpe, Women in Nuclear UK President

Clare Sharpe, President of Women in Nuclear UK

As we mark the 10th anniversary of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, I am delighted to highlight the important role that Women in Nuclear UK (WiN UK) plays in driving gender balance in our industry, as well as the fantastic opportunities for women in the nuclear sector.

I have worked in the nuclear sector for over 17 years and it is hard to convey the variety of interesting projects I’ve had the opportunity to work on and the energy you get from working in this sector. And there has never been a better time to work in Nuclear. Recently, at Nuclear Week in Parliament, we heard about the bold ambitions for this industry. The drive for clean energy means that we are at the forefront of a growth period, and there is huge demand for skills. Attracting a diverse workforce is essential to meet this demand for skills, as well as being absolutely vital to achieve the required performance. It is well documented that diverse teams are better performing, and to deliver the nuclear sector’s ambitious plans, we need people who can be innovative and share ideas. That can only come through having an inclusive culture and a diverse workforce.

So what it is like to be a woman in the nuclear industry? It is true that women are still under-represented in our sector; across the UK we average about 20%. However, there is a strong commitment from organisations to improve this, and WiN UK plays a key role in supporting our members in achieving this. WiN UK hosted the closing event of Nuclear Week in Parliament, bringing together CEOs, managing directors and key decision-makers in the sector to encourage them to use their power to put their diversity and inclusion programmes front and centre in making their organisations and the wider industry a success.

And things are changing. We can see visible role models as we have women in key senior leadership positions across the sector, and there are organisations where women are not under-represented. Sizewell C’s board for instance is now more than 60 per cent women, a fantastic achievement.  And the sector has moved hugely in creating a culture of inclusion so that everyone feels welcome. Flexible working policies, menopause policies all help to promote an inclusive workplace that works for everyone.

One of the many great things about this sector are the different routes into it. For example, apprenticeships are a great way to ‘earn while you learn’. But the nuclear sector isn’t just for people starting out in their careers. There are huge opportunities for people in mid-career to bring their transferable skills and the sector is really benefiting from the diversity of experience this brings. This represents my own path into nuclear, having started out in the world of retail and home shopping (for those who can remember what that was!).

The nuclear sector is a great place to work, with varied and exciting opportunities, and a supportive and friendly culture where everyone is welcome. If you’d like to find out more about WiN UK please visit our website www.winuk.org.uk, we are open to everyone and it’s free for individuals to join. And if you haven’t already why not register for the WiN Global Conference, which is being hosted in London 14^th – 18^th July 2025, please visit here.

Women in Nuclear UK (WiN UK) is one of over 30 international chapters under the umbrella of Women in Nuclear Global. Formed in 2014, WiN UK’s mission is to address the industry’s gender balance, improve the representation of women in leadership, engage with the industry, government and public on nuclear issues and support the industry with tools and information.

Website: https://www.winuk.org.uk/

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