Women in Limitless “SPACE”

On Wednesday I attended the WOMEN IN LIMITLESS “SPACE” Symposium at Sasin School of Management, with the first Asian female Astronaut Dr Chiaki Mukai. Organised by the Embassy of Japan, we were treated to an impressive panel of speakers to share their knowledge to the young generation of women with the view to encourage them to pursue education, career and leadership in traditionally male dominated areas such as Science and Technology.

What an inspiration to hear from such accomplished female leaders discussing the challenges that women face and how we can possibly overcome them, as well as the stories that brought them to where they are today.

So many take aways from this event. Here are some of my key learnings:

– Diversity and inclusion across different backgrounds is critical in ensuring creative and innovative ideas that tackle real problems we all face today. That’s why NASA encourages complete diversity in their astronauts.

– So far, 64 women have flown into space; a very small amount compared to men.

– Education enables us to envision and pursue our dreams. if you can dream it, you can do it! the sky is not the limit, space is!

– Diversity Inclusion is a concept we can no longer ignore if we are to solve our world’s problems. Learn from our differences, and cherish our similarities.

– The future is full of unprecedented opportunities. The future is bold and bright. We must adopt a LIMITLESS THINKING approach where anything is possible, so we can continue to make the impossible possible.

– The power of oneness – we must all take personal accountability for ensuring we continue to adapt and move forward towards our potential, not just be defined by our experience.

– According to Dr Chiaki Mukai, at a first glance our planet from the space is so beautiful, yet after a while you start to notice the fires, deforestation and overall destruction in other parts where we are depleting our planet’s resources. Resources are limited, and we must all work together to think and act differently to help preserve our planet.

– We need equality and access to education to make our dreams a reality, even if that means becoming an astronaut!

– Hearing Dr Chiaki Mukai’s story was so empowering. She grew up in a very small village in Japan, lacking many opportunities. We don’t need a perfect upbringing to create our own success story. Our past does not define us. Our dreams do. Dare to have big dreams.

– In space, gender does not matter. 🙂

¡Por tu éxito!

Isabel