Women Nuclear Leaders Tour French Fuel Facilities
Twelve women from 11 countries completed the ninth IAEA Lise Meitner Programme visit in early October.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Nuclear
Twelve women nuclear professionals from 11 countries completed the ninth IAEA Lise Meitner Programme visit, hosted by Orano and the IAEA, from 5 to 16 October 2026. The visit combined facility tours and lectures with working sessions on leadership, management and communication skills.
Why it matters
The programme supports the career development of women in nuclear fields, an area that is central to the global nuclear workforce. The visit's focus on the fuel cycle reflects the sector's attention to supply chains for nuclear power.
The ninth edition of the programme drew 12 women from 11 countries over a two-week visit. The extraction does not provide participant outcomes or results from prior editions for comparison.
The players
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
The IAEA is the United Nations agency that promotes the peaceful use of nuclear technology and runs the Lise Meitner Programme.
Orano
Orano is a French nuclear fuel cycle company that hosted the first week of the visit at its facilities across France.
The details
The first week took place at Orano's nuclear fuel cycle facilities across France, and the second week at IAEA Headquarters in Vienna, Austria. Participants also attended the first IAEA International Conference on Fuel Supply Chain for Sustainable Nuclear Power Development.
Timeline
5 to 16 October 2026: Ninth Lise Meitner Programme visit took place.
Big Picture
The ninth visit continues the IAEA Lise Meitner Programme, which hosts two-week professional visits in Member States to build women's careers in nuclear fields. It follows a pattern of host-country facility tours paired with leadership and communication training.
For readers following nuclear careers, the programme offers a model of structured professional visits that combine technical facility access with leadership training. Readers interested in the sector can track how fuel-cycle facilities and training programmes develop.
The takeaway
Structured programmes pairing technical facility access with leadership training can expand the career pipeline for women in nuclear fields. Professionals in any technical sector can look for similar mentorship or visit-based development opportunities.
Further reading
Explore more Nuclear coverage on Wisevoter for context on the fuel cycle and nuclear power workforce.
Source note: This article includes information reported by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
