On International Women’s Day 2024, coaching and media training specialist, Paola Buonadonna, reflects on the need for women in the space sector – and in other industries – to have the confidence to step up and demonstrate their expertise, knowledge and insights, or risk missing opportunities and continuing to be in the shadow of their male counterparts.
An ocean of blue and grey
Walking into Space Comm Expo this week, I felt like an intrepid explorer venturing into a mysterious land. Everything was unfamiliar and slightly intimidating. It’s not just that I am no rocket scientist or space entrepreneur; I was a rare woman stranded in a sea of men.
There were others, of course. Middle aged like me or young and bright eyed, huddling in little clusters. There were also women on the panels – well, at least one woman on each panel at any rate – breaking the ocean of blue and grey with a bright jacket. Women were accents, here and there, not the melody itself, the deep baritone drone dominating the ginormous exhibition hall.
I am often told increasing number of girls are taking STEM subjects and I know that a large number of women do work in the space sector, but it worries me that they are not yet visible enough. Enough to get their voices heard, to inspire others. Enough to be thought of as commonplace, like women surgeons or university professors.
When people think of space, many still imagine male astronauts and lab-coated male scientists and engineers. I suspect the media reflects this by reaching out unthinkingly for those kinds of interviewees. And it’s not just the patriarchy’s fault.
Building confidence
This process is aided and abetted by the professional women in all sectors, including space, who take themselves out of the picture by not appearing, not showing up, not representing their company, institution, field of knowledge and expertise, even when discovered and approached, because…well, why do women who have something to say and the opportunity to say it keep themselves away from the limelight? What gravitational force keeps them grounded among the audience – of the conference, the special supplement, TV broadcast, the ten-part series, of life itself – rather than on the stage?
As Head of Comms at a variety of organisations, a big part of my job became coaxing and nudging female colleagues, all authorities in their fields and in excuses for why they specifically weren’t the right person to comment on something.
Yes, it’s good to be prepared. And media training exists to make professionals feel ready. But the reason I coach women, as well as training them, is that the first hurdle to jump is to see yourself as worthy of the attention.
If you postpone and procrastinate yet again – because taking centre stage is uncomfortable and challenging, and requires an extra effort you just don’t have the energy for in your life right now – please ask yourself this question: who is speaking instead of you?
Chances are it’s a middle-aged man. He may or may not be knowledgeable and well-meaning, but what’s certain is that his worldview and best interest won’t always align with yours. And they’re unlikely to inspire more little girls to see themselves in a spacesuit or a lab coat one day.
The default position should be that whoever has relevant knowledge on anything that’s in the news should be in the news, not just men and a couple of tried and trusted media ladies.
And thoughtful, innovative companies who want to secure the best talent would do well to invest in media training to create a pipeline of female staff ready to star centre stage.
Paola Buonadonna is a former BBC journalist and a comms specialist. Her boutique coaching and media training company, HerSayMedia, helps media-shy experts get media-ready.