Women in Nuclear and Radiation Protection: working together to promote nuclear energy in Slovakia

Members of the Slovak Nuclear Society’s sections – Women in Nuclear (WIN) and Radiation Protection (RP) - work closely together because they share many common interests. They are mostly women and, therefore, stand out in what is predominantly a male profession. Today, there are female reactor operators and women active in areas such as radiotherapy and radio-diagnosis, nuclear and radiation education etc. There are also women working for nuclear regulatory authorities, environmental protection agencies, and in other institutions dealing with nuclear power and the applications of ionising radiation.

Members of WIN and PR sections at 2010 excursion

The activities of the WIN and RP sections focus on a number of areas:  the development of expert platforms, the dissemination of information on the uses of ionizing radiation, radiation protection and work with young people.

Relations between members are friendly and open thanks to their participation in common activities: In May 2009, WIN and PR sections organised a trip to the Hungarian town of Veszprém, where they visited laboratories at the Institute of radiochemistry and radioecology of Panon University. Information provided during the visit of the laboratories was very interesting and launched a useful debate among experts. After the scientific part of the excursion, participants spent a nice relaxing time at Bük-fürdo Spa.

Good recommendations and the shared interests of the sections’ members also resulted in a similar excursion in March 2010. This time, participants visited the weather forecasting and weather warning center at the Slovak hydro-meteorological institute. Here visitors gained an insight into all phases of the institute’s work, from the collection of meteorological data from its network of meteorological stations, radars and satellites, to the numerical models used for the development of weather forecasting and advanced weather warnings. They also learned about the position of the radiation monitoring system at Slovak hydro-meteorological institute, as well as its role in the international exchange of radiation data. A follow-up meeting focused on an assessment of WIN and RP activities and on the future of activities. Once again, the technical part of the excursion was complemented by a relaxing stay at the Spa Trencianske Teplice and by a visit of the castle in the Slovak town of Trencin.

Visit of Slovak hydro-meteorological institute

Activities of this type are regularly offered by SNUS. They are important for maintaining close relations among its members and result in successful technical cooperation among experts from various fields associated with the peaceful application of nuclear energy and radiation.

Tereza Melicherova,
WIN and RP sections of the Slovak Nuclear Society