• Provide regular opportunities for intellectual, professional, and personal support
• Develop networks of resources to support our fellow women in Geography and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
• Empower women professionally through training and career development
• Promote the participation of women in the discipline of Geography and GIS through collaboration with academic institutions by providing mentorship
SWIGGIS is a professional and social organization. Our meetings provide women geographers with a positive and productive space as well as a supportive and engaging environment in which we mentor each other, enhance our intellectual climate, and are innovative in our strategies to promote the professional status of women in Geography and GIS. Our goal is to meet monthly, and our meetings will be scheduled alternatively as educational sessions and social happy hours.
“Supporting Women in Geography” (SWIG) originally started in the academic realm in response to perceived and real gender inequality differences in academia. Several autonomous organizations have formed across North America to promote the participation of women in Geography and these groups share the moniker “SWIG”. Our group is the first that has formed in the professional realm and is built upon the same ideas and philosophies as SWIG and includes not only geographers but also the technologically savvy GIS users. We continue the single-sex tradition because we enjoy the company of like-minded women who place importance upon the human and social aspects of the natural environment. We are an informal community of women from a wide range of backgrounds. Our members represent a large variety of private businesses, public institutions, and local and state agencies. Our common thread is that we are trained women geographers and as a result have a unique perspective on the world. This is a forum for women in Geography and GIS to be inquisitive about GIS and its technology, discuss ideas, and feel free to speak their minds about the field.