Department of Science & Technology (DST) and IBM India announced two collaborations to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) learning among students.
- Vigyan Jyoti’ program & Vigyan Prasar (an autonomous organisation of DST) build and run a technology-driven interactivity platform named ‘Engage With Science’.
- Vigyan Jyoti is a programme to promote STEM learning among girl students
- inspire them towards STEM careers by creating a level-playing field for meritorious girls from grades 9 to 12 to pursue STEM in their higher education, especially from the top colleges in the areas where girls are hugely underrepresented
- partnership with IBM India will strengthen the current activities and expand to include more schools in future.
- Women tech experts working at IBM India will interact and be role models for inspiring girl students to plan for a career in STEM
- Vigyan Prasar build interest and create a community of practice with students, teachers, and scientists connecting the high school students to the higher education institutions
- collaboration for ‘Engage With Science’ initiative, IBM will run the day-to-day activities of the program, including student workshops, seminars and leverage its expertise to mentor the students.
What is the present scenario of STEM career opportunities for women in India?
- United Nations, India is a paradox when it comes to STEM opportunities for women. Despite producing more women graduates (in STEM), as compared to global average, it employees fewer women researchers.
- In STEM 40% of graduates are women in India as compared to 35% of the global average.
- Only 14% of researchers in India are women as compared to 30% of the global average.
Why India has more women graduates in STEM yet fewer women researchers?
- Patriarchal culture in STEM: UN- girls are often made to believe that they are not smart enough for STEM or that boys and men have natural affinity for the field. This creates a psychological barrier, for women, in pursuing research as career
- Issues in higher education:drop in the number of women in science following graduation. Building a motivated team and attracting consistent funding are the two main challenges that any young researcher faces. If the researcher is woman then this issue gets exacerbated.
- Hurdles in attending research conferences: women face following issues in attending research conference:
- Administrative hassles at the workplace
- Uncertainty of securing a travel fund
- Caring for young children or ageing parents often
- Repercussions of measures considered to be “women-friendly”: women are advised to work only during official hours, while men can access labs any time.
- Gender pay gap: Despite the ground breaking research and performance, women in the field of STEM are known to be paid less for their research work compared to men.
Way ahead
- Funding of crèche facility at workplace
- Safe travel: for encouraging women to join research institutes located in suburban towns. Prioritising young families for on-campus housing by revamping the current seniority-based system and workplace transport facility in cities could aid the safety of women.
- Revamped approach to conferences: By supporting and rewarding organisers who ensure greater participation of women,
- Policy reforms: The childcare leave should be extended to male parent also to prevent women from bearing the brunt of career setbacks
Bridging the gender gap in STEM is vital to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and for creating infrastructure, services and solutions that work for all people.
Steps being taken to plug the gender gap
- Science and Technology Policy 2020 (STP): Aiming to create women leaders, the DST is developing a framework (under the new STP 2020) to rate and rank science institutes depending on the proportion of women employed
- cover both government and private institutes and the institutions will be rated on a number of parameters that includes:
- Promotion opportunities
- Leadership positions
- Support structure (such as crèches)
- Committees on women’s issues, including that of sexual harassment complaints, will be strengthened.
- ways to mainstream female entrepreneurs as well as other communities that are cut off from science due to geographical, regional and other privileges (like language barrier)
- Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing (KIRAN)
- 2014, DST restructured all women specific programmes under KIRAN
- mandate of KIRAN Program is to bring gender parity in S&T through gender mainstreaming
- encompasses women-exclusive schemes and encourages them to foster their career by:
- Undertaking research in S&T
- Focusing on S&T solutions of issues & challenges at the grassroots level for social benefits.