Please note: this event has passed
About the event
Although there is increasing recognition of the important role women play in the nuclear field, numerous barriers remain to an equal gender balance. This imbalance affects all aspects of the nuclear field, from engineering and science to nuclear security.
The NSCP is proud to present an international panel on the challenges and opportunities faced by women in the field of nuclear security, drawing on their experiences and advice on how organisations can increase the parity of roles in nuclear security.
This webinar will include discussions on causes for inequality in the field, case studies and experiences of panel members in the field, practical steps women can take, and an overview of different regional efforts.
Speakers
- Kateryna Bila
- Nataliia Klos (State Niclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine)
- Shorena Lortkipanidze (Civil Council on Defense and Security)
- Comfort Offornedu (Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps)
Chair: Karl Dewey (King’s College London)
Biographies
Kateryna Bila is a career diplomat, who started her service in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine as Attaché of the Euro-Atlantic Integration Department. Since 2008 she has served in the Department, responsible for International Security, Disarmament, Non-proliferation and Export Control at the MFA of Ukraine. In 2019 she was appointed as Deputy Director General. She has completed two foreign postings as pol-mil officer in Mission of Ukraine to NATO, and Spokesman of the Embassy of Ukraine in the United Kingdom.
Kateryna has formed part of numerous delegations from Ukraine, such as to the UN General Assembly First Committee, NPT Preparatory Committee meetings, the CD in Geneva, OPCW and Conventional disarmament instruments (e.g. CCW and the Mine Ban Treaty). From 2012 -2016 she was Ukrainian Sous Sherpa to the Nuclear Security Summits.
Kateryna has been awarded the MOD of Ukraine Medal “For the Assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine” (2006), and is decorated with the MOD of Ukraine's “Sign of Honor” (2017).
Nataliia Klos is a Nuclear Security Consultant for the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non‑Proliferation (VCNDP) and Black Sea Women in Nuclear Network Coordinator. She is a nuclear security expert with 18 years’ experience of work on the physical protection field, including for the Ukrainian State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate, the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy, and the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs. Nataliia has a Master’s degree in Nuclear Security and Public Administration, and has participated at the Internship Program at the Center for Nuclear Non-Proliferation. J. Martin of the Monterey Institute of International Studies, Monterey, California, USA.
In addition, Nataliia is the Coordinator of the Initiative for the Exchange of Information on Assistance to Ukraine in Radiation and Nuclear Safety within the Global Partnership; Permanent representative of Ukraine on Global Partnership Against Spreading of Materials and Weapon Mass Destruction; Chairwoman of Working Group No. III Promoting the Development of Nuclear Security in IAEA International Nuclear Security Education Network (INSEN).
Nataliia’s areas of research include: nuclear security culture; insider threat; illicit trafficking of nuclear material; cybersecurity; SMR in the vision of providing of nuclear security regime
Shorena Lortkipanidze is the founder and a board member of the Civil Council on Defense and Security, a non-governmental organization in Tbilisi, where she leads a network of experts interested in nuclear security and non-proliferation. Shorena also lectures at Tbilisi State University and is currently completing her Ph.D. thesis on international development assistance and state-building.
Her professional interests include foreign policy, defence and security policy, security sector reform, nuclear security and non-proliferation, peace and conflict studies, gender and diversity. Previously, Shorena worked as an Advisor at the Defense and Security Committee of the Parliament of Georgia. Shorena is World Bank-IFC international accountability mechanism dispute resolution specialist/mediator.
Comfort Offornedu is Deputy Superintendent of Corps (DSC) and the Head, Radiological and Nuclear Unit in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) Department, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), National Headquarters, Abuja. Currently a WINS Ambassador, she is also the interim Welfare Secretary of Women in Nuclear (WiN), Nigeria chapter. She is a Fellow, School on Radiation Technologies, World Nuclear University (WNU) and a pioneer member of Nigeria Association of Medical Physicists (NAMP).
Her career began as a young female Physicist in 2010, becoming a first responder in the CBRNE Department of NSCDC. She has represented NSCDC in several conferences, workshops, reviews, and trainings, both at locally and internationally. With special interest in mentoring women in Nuclear Energy & Radiation applications; CBRN emergency response, Comfort is a frontline educator who also trains many CBRN first responders at both State and Federal levels. She is also a certified Instructor by the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW); and also a member Committee on EU CBRNE RISK Mitigation Initiative for Nigeria.
Comfort has served as member of the Committees that drafted the National Chemical and Biological Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan for Nigeria as well as the National Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Plan (NNREP) which provides the basis for a national response to Nuclear and Radiological emergencies in Nigeria.
Aside from successfully serving as the Chairperson of Women in Nuclear-Nigeria (WIN-Nigeria) Central Planning Committee for the 2022 International Women's Day celebration, she also gave talks on STEM education, Nuclear Energy & Radiation applications at a Secondary School outreach programme as part of the event.
Mr Karl Dewey is a Research Associate and Project Coordinator at the Centre for Science and Security Studies (CSSS), which is based in the School of Security Studies at King's College London.
Until September 2019, Karl worked as a CBRN analyst for Jane’s, by IHS Markit – a publishing company specialising in aerospace and defence topics. At Jane’s, Karl specialised in nuclear and ballistic missile issues of Indian, Pakistani and North Korea; as well as the use of chemical weapons in Iraq and Syria since 2012.
He has MAs in terrorism studies, and non-proliferation studies from King’s College London.