The Women in Nuclear Security Group of Expertise is dedicated to advancing gender equality, leadership, and professional development across the full spectrum of nuclear security.
Nuclear security is an interdisciplinary field encompassing the protection of nuclear and radioactive materials, facilities, transport, digital systems, and people. It requires strong technical expertise, policy understanding, operational readiness, and international cooperation.
Women are playing an increasingly critical role in shaping the future of nuclear security—from cybersecurity analysts and engineers to transport security specialists, first responders, communicators, regulators, and policy leaders. WiN Security highlights and amplifies these contributions while working to address persistent gender gaps in specialized areas such as cybersecurity, advanced technologies, and emergency response.
Launched in 2021 by the IAEA Division of Nuclear Security and WiN Global, and now led by the World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS), WiNSI builds global and regional networks that empower women, strengthen institutional capacity, and support a diverse and future-ready workforce capable of addressing evolving security challenges.
The group brings together specialists from regulatory bodies, technical support organizations, research institutions, emergency response agencies and the nuclear industry.
WiN Safety promotes a culture of safety, security and responsibility by encouraging knowledge sharing, capacity building and innovation in safety-related practices. It aims to increase the visibility, participation and influence of women in decision-making processes related to nuclear safety, while fostering collaboration across borders and disciplines.
The initiative contributes to sustainable development by supporting safe and secure uses of nuclear technologies in health, energy, industry, agriculture and environmental protection. By empowering women professionals and promoting diversity in expertise and perspectives, WiN Safety enhances institutional performance, public trust and resilience in the nuclear sector worldwide.
Nuclear law is a unique and specialized field of law that has been in existence for over 60 years and is concerned with all aspects of nuclear energy, including radiological protection, nuclear safety, management of spent fuel and radioactive waste, environmental protection, transport, nuclear security, non-proliferation, safeguards, nuclear liability, and international trade, among other topics.
In recent years, interest in nuclear energy has increased dramatically, not only with traditional technologies but also with new and innovative technologies. The future of the nuclear industry requires a robust and diverse workforce to drive performance and innovation, including in the field of nuclear law.
Thus, regardless of whether the issue is the development of small modular reactor, the decommissioning of a Generation III reactor, the licensing of a deep geological repository, the nuclear liability of a floating nuclear power plant, or the transport of radioactive materials, all aspects of nuclear energy require a skilled and knowledgeable workforce, which includes experienced nuclear lawyers.
In the legal field however, “current research shows that females make up the majority of law students and graduates globally, but this is not reflected in the statistics of those working at senior levels, across all legal sectors, where women still constitute a far smaller proportion than their male counterparts.”
The Women in Nuclear Law Initiative (WiNLI) was launched in March 2023 under the framework of the partnership between WiN Global and the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA). This partnership was launched in September 2022 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the NEA and WiN Global to further strengthen the common objective of both to improve gender balance in the nuclear sector.
WiN Security mission is to advance gender equality and inclusion in nuclear security by empowering women to lead, innovate, and contribute across technical, operational, and policy domains, while strengthening global capacity and fostering diverse perspectives in nuclear security systems.
WiN Security Group of Expertise is supported by the World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS) and key partners committed to advancing gender equality and professional excellence in nuclear security. Through collaboration with international organizations, national authorities, and regional networks, WiN Security promotes inclusive leadership, capacity building, and equitable access to training, mentorship, and visibility.
Women remain underrepresented in many critical areas of nuclear security, particularly in cybersecurity, transport security, response, and advanced technologies. WiN Security addresses this gap by promoting visibility, leadership, capacity building, and equitable access to opportunities. By empowering women at all career stages, WiN Security strengthens the resilience, diversity, and effectiveness of global nuclear security.
Join us, share your expertise, and help shape meaningful impact across the WiN Global community.
Viviana Espinosa Moreno – World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS)
Viviana is a Senior Project Manager at WINS, where she designs and directs high-impact programmes that strengthen national and regional capacities across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. She leads initiatives on advanced technologies, AI, cybersecurity, and transport security, and drives gender-responsive leadership and professional development across the nuclear security community.