On Wednesday June 20, 2012 the Women In Aerospace of Europe convened for their yearly meeting at the ESA Business Incubation Centre in Noordwijk, The Netherlands. As member of this organisation I was present to witness the growth of this organisation all over Europe. In my mind WIA, in Europe and in the United States, but also in Africa, serve as my professional brotherhood (sisterhood in this case). Just like Engineers have their engineerng society and doctors their medical society, women working in Aerospace have their own professional community.
The weather was more than fine as where the finances and plans of WIA-Europe.
About 20 women from all over Europe had congregated to discuss the passed year, but also the upcoming events and planned meetings for the next year.
WIA Europe has local groups in Leiden (The Netherlands) Bremen, Munich (Germany), Bruxelles (Belgium), Paris (France, Madrid (Spain) and soon: Torino (Italy), Toulouse (France).
On international conferences WIA Europe organises breakfast meetings for its members and other interested females from the Aerospace community. One such meeting last year at the 62nd International Astronautical Congress in Capetown. South Africa, led to the establishment of WIA-Africa. It is likely that there will be a WIA-South America soon, as well as a WIA-Asia. WIA-Australia is being set up already.
After the two hour meeting which ended right on time, most of the attendees convened at a Noordwijk restaurant, where a good time was had by all.
It is exactly these informal meetings like the monthly WIA-dinners in Leiden and Bremen coupled with the workshops being offered to members at a deeply discounted rate (currently at Bremen and Leiden mostly, but at request such workshops can be set up anywhere in Europe) that makes this organisation of great value to women working in Aerospace.
If you are women that falls into that category feel free to contact WIA – Europe. The memberfee is modest (€75) and the benefits of networking with sisters in the space neighbourhood are vaste.
I hope to meet you at one of our future WIA events.
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