Space for all, but without inclusion, it remains a utopia.

In recent years, the presence of women in STEM fields has increased at both European and national levels, reaching, according to Eurostat data, around 52% of the overall workforce in science and technology in Europe and 31% in Italy by 2023. However, in the space tech sector, women are still significantly underrepresented compared to men: in the United States, in 2021, only 13.4% of the aerospace workforce was female, while in Italy, in 2019, among 500 companies in the space industry (with an average of 85 employees), 63% had less than 10% female employees. Moreover, fewer than 10% of pilots are women (less than 7% if excluding students ), and since the beginning of space missions, only 72 out of 600 astronauts have been women.

"The aerospace sector is male-dominated, and unfortunately, this is nothing new. Italy and Europe are making significant investments to promote gender equality, but the approach often has its limits," says Ilaria Cinelli, Senior Institutional Business Developer at AIKO.
"A clear example is high-profile institutional events, where most participants are men. Another is the idea that gender education is only beneficial for girls, when in fact, it is crucial for both boys and girls to grow up aware of discrimination. Additionally, education should not be limited to students: professionals already working in the sector must develop awareness of these issues to break down prejudices and professional barriers that prevent women from reaching leadership positions in the space industry."
Cinelli is a researcher and has commanded ten "analogue" missions—simulations of space missions conducted on Earth in environments that mimic space conditions (or those of other celestial bodies like the Moon or Mars) to test technologies, operational protocols, and study human behaviour in such situations. At AIKO, she is responsible for building and strengthening strategic relationships with institutional entities, government agencies, and international organizations to support the company’s growth and positioning in the space tech sector.
One of AIKO’s goals is to support and promote inclusion and diversity in the aerospace field. For this reason, the scale-up is part of the European division and a founding member of the Turin committee of Women in Aerospace (WIA), one of the most active international organizations promoting female participation in the aerospace sector through various initiatives, including events and mentorship programs. Additionally, AIKO has incorporated gender parity into its corporate responsibility policies, aiming to further increase the percentage of women employed in the coming years. Currently, women make up 24% of the scale-up’s workforce, mainly in technical roles—higher than the national average.

Despite outperforming their male counterparts (with an average graduation grade of 104.2 out of 110 for women compared to 102.3 for men, and 57.6% of women graduating on time versus 53%  of men), female STEM graduates in Italy remain relatively few and face more challenges in finding employment. Five years after graduation, the employment rate for women stands at 90.9% compared to 94.1% for men.
According to Cinelli: "The job market must evolve with concrete actions. Incentives for hiring women are necessary but so are support measures for those who have had to interrupt their careers due to family or health reasons, facilitating professional reintegration. Employers should also promote training courses on inclusive communication—not as isolated initiatives, but as structural tools to improve the workplace environment nationwide. Mentoring, networking, and training programs are key instruments for dismantling biases and stereotypes and ensuring that talent can truly emerge. Inclusion is not an overnight goal but a cultural transformation process that requires time, commitment, and concrete changes in structures and mindsets."

Gender barriers and biases are deeply rooted in a culture that has long perceived the sector as predominantly male. A well-known example involves U.S. astronaut Sally Ride: when she was preparing for her 1983 mission aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger, NASA engineers asked her if 100 menstrual pads would be enough for a one-week mission. Another case was the postponement of the first all-female spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) in 2019—a historic event that had to be rescheduled because there were no appropriately sized spacesuits for both astronauts on board.
"The first episode highlights a lack of consideration, as well as poor knowledge, of women’s specific needs in space; the second makes it evident that the infrastructure was designed for male use, without considering female astronauts. The design of space equipment has historically prioritized men, resulting in practical consequences that have limited women's participation in extravehicular activities. Changing this mindset requires not only more women in leadership roles but also a structural revision of policies and practices to ensure a fair and inclusive working environment for all," notes Cinelli.

In Italy and across Europe, significant investments are being made to promote gender equality in the space industry. However, according to Ilaria Cinelli, it is essential that education reaches both the younger generations through schools and universities and the older generations who already hold leadership roles in companies. Training courses and workshops on gender equality are important, but they risk remaining isolated initiatives if they are not integrated into corporate culture. Moreover, leadership is often taught differently to women than to men, as if it required distinct tools and methods rather than being recognized as a competence that transcends gender.
Cinelli concludes: "To ensure the sustainable growth of the aerospace sector and, more broadly, the Italian technology industry, a broader approach is needed—one that considers not only gender equality but also intergenerational inclusion. Until we understand that both gender and generational diversity are essential factors for our country's growth, achieving mere numerical parity will not be enough. We need a culture that values talent regardless of gender or age and creates a truly inclusive work environment capable of attracting and retaining the best resources in the aerospace sector."