IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - March 2023 - 100

of Digital Earth Australia. Meanwhile, the session was
chaired by Dr. Gopika Suresh from Sisters of SAR and Dr.
Flávia de Souza Mendes and Dr. Morgan Crowley from Ladies
of Landsat. This session was not only supported by the
IDEA Committee but also by Women in Copernicus; African
Women in GIS; She Maps Australia; and ESA Diversity
and Inclusiveness.
Speaking from personal experiences, Tumampos shared
that opportunities are not only hard to come by because of
competition. Coming from a developing country, the Philippines,
Tumampos spoke about the socioeconomic problems
that prevent young girls and women from joining or staying
in the sciences in general. Tumampos said, " What other
people don't understand is that it isn't just opportunity that is
crucial in choosing science or choosing to stay in science. It is
our socioeconomic problems, which include what to put on
the table so that we can still eat for the next meal. "
For other women in the world, problems arise in the
form of choosing between having a career or a family. To
cite an example, women often have to pay childcare costs
from their own pockets to physically attend a conference
and properly represent their institutions. This puts a strain
not only on the financial capabilities of women but also
on their mental health as they're put in a huge dilemma to
choose between their family and their jobs.
This is why Tumampos emphasized that institutions and
organizations must think inclusively. For instance, in one
of her podcast interviews, she learned that Dr. Alyssa Whitcraft,
an associate research professor in the Department of
Geographical Sciences at the University of Maryland and
NASA Harvest deputy director and manager, pushed her
institution to provide financial support to pay for childcare
costs when she leaves for a conference. This podcast
interview was also a positive influence on the committee
as IDEA's Professional Development Microgrants program,
where women and minority members can apply for US$500
financial support, now includes childcare support.
Moreover, the organizing committees of gatherings,
conferences, and symposiums should also take into account
the provision of childcare stations during such events. This
gives participants who bring their kids to conferences a safe
space for their children to stay and peace of mind while
they continue to attend the entire gathering.
The panelists also shared their experiences and opinions
on the hardships women face in the field. These include the
challenges of work-life balance; cultural and gender stereotypes;
and representation. The session ended amenably
with a lot of ideas for action, which include kindness and
empathy; providing financial support for travel and childcare
for scientists who face such problems; and ultimately,
working on representation to make the geoscience and remote
sensing community diverse and inclusive.
IGARSS 2022: DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MATTERS
In light of many issues around the world highlighting the
need to recognize the spectrum of people composing the
entirety of the human race, the GRSS continues to push
boundaries and open channels to make each member feel
safe in an environment where they can grow not only as a
researcher or an engineer in the field but also as an individual.
But opening these channels isn't as easy as we thought
it would be. With the creation of the IDEA Committee, the
GRSS has opened discussions and strives to make sure every
member would not only feel that they belong but also
that they have the opportunity to lead.
One of the sessions prepared by the IDEA Committee
during IGARSS 2022, held in Kuala Lumpur on 20 July
2022, was titled " Women in GRSS: A Panel Discussion on
'Land to Space.' " (Figure 2). It was organized and moderated
by Tumampos and Dr. Mousmi Chaurasia, who are both
members of the committee. The panelists, namely Dr. Alejandro
Frery, who serves as part of the organization's Advisory
Committee (AdCom) in charge of Future Publications,
Plagiarism, and Regional Symposia; Rebecca Moore, the director
of Google Earth; Dr. Keely Roth, the Society's chief of
information resources and publicity; and Dr. Takako Hashimoto,
a professor at the Chiba University of Commerce,
shared their thoughts on why diversity matters (Figure 3).
During the session, Dr. Frery mentioned the importance
of diversity, especially within the GRSS. Dr. Frery said, " We
are not supposed to tolerate diversity. We're not supposed
to accept diversity. We must applaud, we must embrace, we
FIGURE 2. Speakers, moderators, and members of the audience during the GRSS IDEA Committee sessions during IGARSS 2022, held in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 20 July 2022. (Source: Stephanie Tumampos.)
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IEEE GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING MAGAZINE MARCH 2023

IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - March 2023

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