Maunakea Observatories Launches Equity Challenge on International Women’s Day

March 3, 2019, 10:38 AM HST

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Hawai’i Island community leaders gathered on Friday, March 1, 2019, with women scientists, engineers and administrators of Maunakea Observatories at ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center to celebrate equality, diversity and the historic contributions of these acclaimed individuals.

Together with Hawai‘i Island community leaders, the women of the Maunakea Observatories celebrated #BalanceForBetter in honor of International Women’s Day.

In association with International Women’s Day, which recognizes the social, cultural, economic and political achievements of women, the second annual celebrated the 2019 campaign theme—#BalanceForBetter—as the observatory community in Hawai‘i looks to pursue full gender equity and greater diversity amongst colleagues.

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In a show of solidarity and commitment to shared values, the East Asian Observatory introduced a new equality challenge for the entire astronomy community on Hawai‘i Island, pledging to support equality and diversity within their ranks.

“Living in one of the most diverse states in the country, host to the most female astronomers in the world, we are uniquely positioned to serve as a model of progress toward gender equity and diversity in the workplace,” said Jessica Dempsey, deputy director of the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope of the East Asian Observatory.

Hawai‘i Island’s Maunakea hosts the most powerful collection of astronomical observatories in the world, with telescopes operated by a diverse group of engineers, physicists and astronomers with international and local roots. As the most scientifically productive collection of telescopes in the world, the Maunakea Observatories provides incredible career opportunities for women and men who work in the field of science and technology, a vital driver of economic development in Hawai’i.