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 The commitment of ISA to advance women empowerment and leadership was renewed in 2021 with the launch of the “Women in Deep-Sea Research” (WIDSR) project.
The WIDSR project aims at enhancing the role and participation of women in deep-sea scientific research (#OceanAction15467) and is being implemented with the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States of the United Nations (UN-OHRLLS).
It is designed around four key areas of action, namely: advocacy and policy development, capacity development, sustainability and partnerships, and communications and outreach.
The project will help identify and address the critical challenges faced by women scientists from developing States in accessing opportunities for careers and leadership roles in deep-sea related research disciplines and activities. This will contribute to strengthening the resource base of these countries in highly technical areas of knowledge.
Activities will range from improving data availability for informed policy development to establishing communities of practice, mentorship and leadership programmes, among others, through strategic alliances.
This bulletin is the second in the series of the quarterly bulletins on the progress made under the WIDSR project.
A lot of work is ahead of us but I am confident that with the support and engagement of all, we will achieve significant results. I am grateful to all the different partners representing governments, international and regional organizations, industry and academia for joining us in this initiative and for accepting to contribute to concrete and transformative actions. I also take this opportunity to call others to join and support our efforts and commitment.
Michael W. Lodge
Secretary-General, ISA
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Advocacy and policy development
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The first initiative under the WIDSR project consists of a gender-mapping analysis and identification of critical barriers to the participation of women from least-developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and small island developing States (SIDS) in deep-sea related research disciplines and activities and access to leadership positions. To that end, an international consultant has been recruited to work with the Secretariat and the Advisory Committee. The survey is now under process in 24 countries, including seven LDCs, four LLDCs and 13 SIDS that have nominated national data focal points. A final report on the outcome of this activity is expected to be published in April 2022.
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As part of the WIDSR project, a number of contractors holding contracts with ISA for the exploration of deep-seabed minerals in the Area have pledged to support women’s empowerment and leadership in deep-sea research, including BGR, DORD, GSR, Ifremer, Marawa, TOML and NORI. In some cases, contractors have committed to allocate half of the opportunities available under the ISA Contractors’ Training Programme to women.
As a result, six female trainees have been selected under the Contractors' Training Programme since the launch of the WIDSR project, including two from LDCs and SIDS. Ms. Sera Lewanuya from Fiji started a master’s degree at the the University of the South Pacific in Fiji in January 2022 with a scholarship provided by NORI. Ms. Lineth Komolo from the Solomon Islands started an undergraduate degree at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji in January 2022 with a scholarship provided by Marawa.
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In December 2021, ISA Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. Michael W. Lodge announced that the Secretary-General Award for Excellence in Deep-Sea Research, for a second time, would go to a woman, Dr. Kirsty McQuaid of South Africa.
Dr. McQuaid is a marine scientist working at the interface between environmental management and marine conservation. She was recommended for the Award by the advisory committee appointed by the ISA Secretary-General for her work designing networks of marine protected areas around South Africa and using habitat classification to assess the representativity of the network of areas of particular environmental interest in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.
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ISA partnered with and contributed to the Global women’s leadership training programme in marine bio-resources information system conducted by the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea (MABIK) with the support of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The five-day training programme involved 24 women working in relevant ministries and organizations in Fiji. It focused on mainstreaming gender equality into taxonomy, ecology, and repository management, database management and outreach programmes, which are fundamental elements of the national marine bio resource information system in Fiji.
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Sustainability and partnerships
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As of February 2022, partnerships have been established for the implementation of the WIDSR project with (i) governments - Argentina, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Malta, Nauru, Norway and South Africa; (ii) research institutions – the Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea (MABIK), the National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries of Egypt (NIOF), the National Oceanographic Centre in the UK (NOC) and WEST; (iii) international and regional organizations – UN DESA, the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals (IGF), the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Pacific Community, International Women in Mining, the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and (iv) industry/ contractors - Deep Ocean Resources Development Co. Ltd (DORD), Global Sea Mineral Resources (GSR), the Institut français de recherche pour l’exploration de la mer (Ifremer), the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources of Germany (BGR), Marawa Research & Exploration Limited, Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. (NORI) and Tonga Offshore Mining Limited (TOML).
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International and regional organizations
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Communication and outreach
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On 19 August 2021, ISA and the Sub-Commission for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions of the International Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOCARIBE) successfully hosted the “Co-design Workshop on Capacity Development: 1. The Deep Sea".
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Former ISA trainees Ms. Ana Carolina Ronda from Argentina and Mr. Hank Hedge from Jamaica were among the panelists of the workshop.
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Dr. Marie Bourrel-McKinnon, Senior Policy Officer and Special Assistant to the Secretary-General of ISA contributed to the 2021 WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute report on Empowering women for the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
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Her article focused on the initiatives and programmes undertaken by the ISA for women’s empowerment and leadership within the organization as well as for the marine scientific community at large, in particular in developing States. The full report can be access here.
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