Women faculty in STEM

Women Faculty in STEM A recent study by BiasWatchIndia, revealed alarming statistics about the underrepresentation of Women Faculty in STEM across India.

Understanding the Gender Gap:

• Only 13.5% of faculty members in Indian Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculties are women.
• Female representation is particularly low in fields like Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, and Chemistry.
• Engineering faculties showed the sharpest gender gap, with only 9.2% female faculty.
• In contrast, Biology shows a relatively higher representation of women faculty at 25.5%.
  • This variance could be associated with perceptions of biology as a “softer” science compared to other fields.
• Physics, computer science, and chemistry, all had around 11.5% to 13% female faculty.
• Earth sciences and mathematics fared slightly better with 14.4% and 15.8% women, respectively.
• India produces the world’s highest percentage of women STEM graduates, around 40%.
  • However, only 14% of them pursue scientific research in universities and institutions.
• The gradual departure of women from the STEM workforce is often termed the ‘Leaky Pipeline’.

Factors Contributing to Low Representation:

Social Bias Against Women in Certain STEM Fields:

• Perceptions of certain fields as “hard” or “soft” sciences discourage women from pursuing disciplines like Engineering, Physics, and Computer Science.
• Societal expectations often push women towards fields perceived as more feminine, impacting their career choices.

Lack of Support During Postdoc to Faculty Transition:

• The transition from postdoc to faculty coincides with family planning for many women, leading to difficult choices and a lack of support structures.
• Societal pressure often prioritizes family responsibilities over career aspirations for women in STEM academia.

Toxic Workplace Environment:

• Senior women often leave STEM academia due to a toxic work environment characterized by disrespect, limited resources, and unequal advancement opportunities compared to male colleagues.
• Such environments deter women from pursuing long-term careers in STEM universities.

Difficulty Accessing Gender Representation Data:

• The absence of a centralized database tracking women faculty in STEM across India makes it challenging to understand the extent of the gender gap and monitor progress towards gender equity.

Lack of Resources and Leadership Commitment:

• Achieving gender equity in STEM faculties requires dedicated resources and strong leadership commitment.
• Without adequate financial and policy support, initiatives aimed at improving women’s representation in STEM struggle to gain traction.

Need for women in STEM:

• Women in technical roles and female scientists not only help a nation to leap towards becoming a secure and progressive nation but they will have a positive impact on the science and technology sector of the country.
• Gender diversity leads to creativity, productivity, and innovation.
• Offering women equal opportunities in STEM careers reduces the gender pay gap, enhances economic security, ensures workforce diversity, and mitigates biases in these fields and their outcomes.
• STEM education can empower girls by challenging gender norms and breaking down societal barriers.

Recommendations for promoting Women in STEM careers:

• Establish stable mentorship programs and support networks within each organization.
• Mandate the establishment of an ‘Office for Equity and Inclusion’ in every institution.
• Ensure representation of women scientists on all panels, particularly those related to career advancement, recruitment, budget proposals, etc.
• Establish on-campus daycare centers.

Initiatives that promote women in STEM:

• Vigyan Jyoti Scheme: This initiative from the Ministry of Science and Technology aims to inspire and empower young girls through lectures, workshops, and interaction with experts in STEM disciplines.
• Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology (WEST): It will cater to women with a STEM background and empower them to contribute to the science, technology, and innovation ecosystem.
• Biotechnology Career Advancement and Re-orientation Programme (BioCARe): This program is implemented by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) to enhance the participation of Women Scientists in Biotechnology research.
• Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI): This is a pilot project launched by the Women in Science and Engineering-KIRAN division of the Department of Science and Technology in 2020.
• Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing (KIRAN)” Scheme: To encourage women scientists through various programmes in the field of Science andTechnology (S&T).
• CURIE: Only women Universities are being supported for development of research infrastructure and creation of state-of-the-art research laboratories to enhance women’s participation in S&T domain.

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