A Space of their Own? A feminist exploration of gendered spatial relations in Professional Women’s Organizations in Alberta's Resource Sector

Abstract

Throughout the life cycle of a geoscience career gender inequalities still exist, even in the face of legislative change. One response in Alberta is the formation of professional women’s groups. Drawing on feminist geography, the objective of this research was to explore the social relations and power structures involved within the work environment that categorized where women’s groups are created, why they are created, and the strategies used in addressing gender disparities and inequality. This mixed methods study included an inventory of current groups that exist in Alberta, an online survey to reach professional STEM women within the geoscience community who have been members of one or more professional women’s groups, and in-depth semistructured interviews with three key actors from one Alberta based group. The intended outcomes are to create evidence-based solutions, which in turn will help contribute to concrete solutions to better support professional female geoscientists in Alberta.