[U-23] New challenges to diversity, equality and inclusion under COVID-19

[U23-P01] GEOLATINAS: embracing, empowering, and inspiring Latinas in Geoscience

*Angela Meneses-Gutierrez^1,2,3, Rocío Caballero-Gill^4,3, Adriana Crisóstomo-Figueroa^7,3, Clara Rodriguez^8,3, Carolina Villarraga Morales³, Grisel Jiménez Soto^5,3, Natalia A. Cifuentes^6,3 (1.Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University, Japan, 2. Disaster Mitigation Research Center, Nagoya University, Japan, 3.GeoLatinas, 4.George Mason University, USA, 5.South East Asia Carbonate Research Laboratory, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Malaysia , 6.Department of Geosciences and Environment, National University of Colombia (Medellin), Colombia, 7.University of Leeds, Leeds, UK, 8.Petronas, Mexico)

Keywords:Diversity, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Latinas

The lack of representation of women in geoscience is a reality, and although recent efforts have been made towards closing the gender gap, we are far from achieving gender balance. Furthermore, this problem is amplified for women with mixed heredity or coming from developing countries, who rarely find themselves represented in leadership roles in academia and industry. To tackle this issue, GeoLatinas, an initiative to empower women of Latin-American ethnicity, started in 2018.

GeoLatinas is an inclusive, member-driven organization dedicated to promote, embrace and empower the work and research of Latinas, and inspire current and future generations of Latin Americans to pursue careers in Earth and Planetary Sciences. The organization relies on six interactive groups to increase its reach and potential: an Advisory Committee, a Board of Directors, Liaisons, Regional leaders (Ambassadors), a Leadership Council, and Local Teams. Aided by the development of remote communication and a strong Visibility and Social Media team, GeoLatinas has now more than 240 active members and volunteers across 27 countries.

In this presentation, we will discuss the GeoLatinas organization, its collective efforts, and use one of our initiatives as an example of how we catalyze inclusion, equity, and retention in Geoscience. We will specifically discuss the strategies undertaken by the Visibility and Social media committee that have helped increase the visibility of Latinas in Earth Sciences and the importance of social media as a tool for representation. Furthermore, we will share lessons learned from the GeoLatinas group journey towards diversity and gender equality, as well as future initiatives to continue supporting our community.