Berkshire MP calls for more women to work in nuclear defence
Laura Farris says more women should consider working in STEM careers at the AWE in Aldermaston
Last updated 27th May 2021
The Newbury MP Laura Farris has called on the Prime Minister to visit the atomic weapons establishment at Aldermaston to raise the profile of women working there.
She recently told parliament that the integrated defence review had confirmed "the important role AWE in Berkshire would play in our future nuclear capability".
She added "I want to pay particular tribute to the senior women employees who have won a slew of national awards for their work in defence, science, engineering and nuclear security".
Speaking to GHR the MP says she aims to raise the profile of AWE:
"Sometimes because of the secrecy surrounding it, it's not given the recognition it deserves for the groundbreaking work that it does, and it's sometimes linked to the cold war because people think of nuclear weapons in a specific context and challenge their place in society rather than a pioneer of technology and modern conflict that it really is.
And says she hopes more young women enter STEM careers and consider AWE as a place to work:
"I think the whole idea of defence is historically extremely male dominated. If people see an industry, as in male or female, I think that can influence behaviour. So I'm very keen to break down that kind of binary divide between the growth industries of the future belonging more to one gender than another"