The 3rd IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics (ICWIP2008) was held in Seoul, Korea, October 8-10 2008. Over 330 scientists from nearly 70 countries registered for the Conference while 283 people from 53 different countries could attend it. Delegates came from African, Asian, European, Latin American, North American, and island nations. More than 80% of the conference attendees were women.

The International Organizing Committee consisted of the IUPAP Working Group on Women in Physics, which was established in 1999 to address the severe under representation of women in physics and develop strategies to increase women physicists worldwide.

The first IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics was successfully held in Paris, France, in March 2002; it served as an initial focal point for ongoing activities to implement strategies developed there. Along with the second IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in May 2005, the third Conference was dedicated to providing an opportunity to share the scientific accomplishments of participants as well as analyzing international progress in promoting women in physics. ICWIP 2008 brought together top decision-makers and practitioners interested in the women-in-physics agenda, thereby helping the physics community to promote the women-in-physics activities.

ICWIP 2008 had six plenary talks, workshops, and poster presentations. The plenary talks, delivered by prominent women physicists, covered recent major achievements in each of six areas of physics research.