The SPIE Women in Optics program promotes, supports, and engages women in optics and photonics fields through community building, networking opportunities, and by encouraging young women to choose optics as a career.
Since 2005, SPIE has produced an annual Women in Optics Planner highlighting women who are making a difference through their work and other contributions to the fields of science, optics, and engineering. Along with promoting female scientists, it serves to introduce girls and young women to the possibilities of careers in all sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Five thousand copies of the planner are printed and distributed, free of charge, in more than 25 countries worldwide annually. We are happy to provide free copies to SPIE Members and constituents, career counselors, science teachers, and community clubs (while supplies last), as well as anyone interested in supporting and promoting the work of female scientists.
In 2017, an SPIE Gender Equity Task Force was formed to identify how the professional environment and culture of the optics and photonics community can better enable equal opportunities, rewards, and recognition for its members, independent of gender. The resulting report is intended to inform and initiate real and measurable change in our community.