Women in Climate (WiC) network
Women in Climate (WiC) network
Posted by Bryony Hobden
20 March 2026For our November Women in Climate event, ‘Voices from everywhere: Navigating science as an international woman’, we were joined by 4 international women from the University and the Met Office to talk to us about their experiences in science, the challenges they have faced in the workplace and beyond, and tips and advice they would give to other international researchers, as well as tips for allies to help create the best environment for everyone to thrive.
Our panellists
We were delighted to be joined by Dr Yoko Tsushima and Dr Christine Pequignet from the Met Office and Dr Carolina Duran Rojas and Stevvileny Angu Bima from the University of Exeter.
Common challenges
Our panellists raised a wide range of challenges that extend beyond the workplace into everyday life. Many centred on adapting to a new language—understanding different accents, keeping up with the pace of conversations, and learning scientific terminology. One panellist shared how her name was changed on arrival in the UK due to the way it was written on her passport, a disorienting experience that left her feeling like a different person!
Our Menti poll also highlighted that maintaining a work-life balance can be especially difficult for international women who lack a local support network. This becomes even more demanding for those with young families, particularly when children are unwell or during school holidays.
Several panellists spoke about the unpredictability of culture shock, which can occur even when moving from a nearby country. Others noted feeling the need to work twice as hard to prove themselves, leading to emotional and physical strain.
Beyond communication and cultural adjustments, there are also administrative hurdles. Each country has its own bureaucratic nuances, making tasks such as opening a bank account surprisingly challenging.
Tips for international women in the UK
– Enjoy being in a different environment
– Build your community: remember that you aren’t alone, and there are people facing challenges like you
– Don’t be afraid to pursue your interests: join groups and contribute!
– If you feel like a group is not treating you fairly, don’t hesitate to leave, your friends are elsewhere
– Take time to learn about your own culture
– Be open-minded, but don’t try to be something you’re not – it can be very easy to lose yourself trying to fit in with a certain culture.
– Above all, be kind to yourself!
Tips for Allies: How We Can Improve Our Meetings for Everyone!
A large part of the discussion was centred around language meeting dynamics, and how small changes can make a large difference.
– Online meetings can often feel easier: a lot of international staff are not used to the more informal way some meetings are run, and how it is normal for people to jump in when they have something to say. In a lot of cultures, particularly in parts of Asia, this is not the norm, and it is usual to be invited to speak before you contribute to a discussion! A suggestion made by the panel and attendees is to make better use of the hands up function in Teams/Zoom. This makes it easier for people to contribute if they don’t feel comfortable jumping in!
– In-person meetings: Setting clear rules and standards for meetings. We spoke about how it was important to strike a balance between making sure everybody is heard and has the time to speak and process but not hindering the flow of a conversation.
– Talk to your manager: if you are struggling to be heard at meetings, being talked over, or need things spoken slower and more clearly, then it can be a good idea to talk to your manager to make them aware – it may be that they have no idea and other people, including native English speakers, are feeling the same way.
– Share agendas in advance: sending out an invite to a meeting with an attached agenda ahead of time is beneficial, as people have time to prepare what they are going to say, and they have a rough idea when a certain talking point will come up for discussion.
– Minimise use of expressions/idioms/sayings/puns in the workplace! The English language is littered with odd and funny expressions, but for an international non-native English speaker, it can often leave people feeling baffled as to what the speaker is saying! The advice from the panel was, in a professional setting, drop the expressions. If you happen to notice you’ve said something that will not be clear, take time to ask if people have understood you, and if they haven’t, explain what you mean – and avoid explaining one expression with
another! Using language that you would use in a scientific paper to make things clear and understandable by all is a great way to go.
– Implementing simple practices like these not only helps international researchers and non-native speakers but also helps to improve accessibility more broadly.
Other general tips for Allies
– Avoid making assumptions
– It’s okay to make mistakes with the pronunciation of names but make the effort to learn them properly!
– Don’t underestimate someone’s intelligence, expertise or ideas – even if they express them in English that is less fluent than a native speaker
– Listen to people’s stories when they share them, and thoughts and ideas – if someone’s English is hard to follow, it’s okay to ask for clarification
– Be mindful and notice if certain people haven’t contributed to a discussion
Helpful resources and sites
– Internationals at the Met Office Network Comms Site.
– Viva Engage group ‘Internationals at the Met Office.
– Book “Watching the English” by Kate Fox.
We had a fantastic quote from one of our panellists that resonated with a lot of people:
‘The mind is like a parachute: if you do not open it, it will not work.’
A big thank you to Luisa from the Women in Climate committee who did an excellent job of organising and chairing the session. Thanks also go to Andrea at the Met office for co-chairing. We are very grateful to all 4 speakers who offered their time to share their experiences. It was incredibly interesting to hear how varied people’s paths were and their stories resonated with a lot of our members. Thank you to all those who attended the meeting and contributed to a thoughtful, open and interesting discussion!