1. 1999 IUPAP General Assembly passed a resolution to form a Working Group on Women in Physics (WGWIP)

At the 1999 IUPAP General Assembly, the concern was raised that women are greatly under-represented in the field of physics in most countries. Recognizing that all fields of science progress most rapidly when they draw from the complete available pool of talented people, the participants of the General Assembly passed a resolution to form a Working Group on Women in Physics.

2. The 1st IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics (ICWIP), March 7-9, 2002 in Paris, France

The Working Group planned a three day International Conference on Women in Physics that was held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France on March 7 to 9, 2002. The results of this conference were presented at the IUPAP General Assembly in October 2002. The IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics brought together more than 300 participants, about 15 percent of them men, from 65 countries to review data, discuss barriers, share success stories, propose ways to improve participation globally, develop resolutions for action by the IUPAP General Assembly, and help teams develop appropriate strategies to improve the status of women in physics in their home countries.

3. The 2nd IUPAP ICWIP 2005, May 23-25, 2005 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In the International Year of Physics, 2005, the 2nd IUPAP ICWIP was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The main purpose of this conference was to analyze the progress that has been made for past 3 years and to check which strategies were successful in bringing and keeping women in physics. Besides serving as a checking point of the progress, the 2nd IUPAP ICWIP was an opportunity to share experiences gained in the process by each of the different countries. The specific feature of this conference, comparable to the 1st, was a scientific session for sharing the scientific developments of each of the participants. This stimulated scientific interaction among the participants and offered an opportunity for communicating and developing the international collaborations.

4. The 3rd IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics (ICWIP2008) will be held in Seoul, Korea, October 8-10 2008.

The 3rd series of IUPAP ICWIP is planned to be held in Seoul, Korea from October 8 to 10, 2008.