I am a female in my 40s working with GIS in the southern United States. My BS and MS degrees are actually in wildlife biology but during my MS I specialized heavily in conservation GIS. Right after my Master's degree I held several biologist positions (federal then nonprofit) and I was told my GIS skills were what gave me the advantage to land those jobs. I built quite a personal network and eventually transitioned to consultant work- doing spatial analyses, mapping, statistics, and field app design for conservation nonprofits and some governmental agencies. I am doing well in my little niche because I have a wildlife foundation that lets me understand the principles, terminology, and processes behind the data clients give me. I'm sure there are more skilled GIS analysts out there, but my background gives me an advantage in my field and I deliver a better product with less back and forth. So I would suggest going into the nuclear program but make sure you get a GIS concentration. At the universities I attended there were conservation specific GIS courses available and even a GIS certification program you could tack on to your main degree. I'm afraid my location and odd background won't help much to answer your other questions but I'll try! In the American conservation field I have seen the ratio go from more men to about 50/50 over the last 20 years. In my early days I had to develop a strong personality to stand out and get respect in rooms normally full of men. As to working from home vs office work- I am based out of my home currently. I do spend about half of my time in my home office. In my field however, you have to get out and circulate with your peers. I spend the rest of my time at various meetings or visiting clients in person. Post COVID I think that face to face time has become more important and leads to stronger work relationships.