- Women among researchers: Increased from 13. 9% (2015) to 18.7% (2018)
- Women in Engineering (14.5%) < Women in natural Science (22.5%) < Women in Health (24.5%)
Issues:
- World Economic Forum (WEF) ranked India at 135 out of 146 countries in its Global Gender Gap (GGG) Index for 2022.
- The 2019 All India Survey on Higher Education shows a significant lag in female participation at doctoral levels, partly owing to the pressures of marriage and family planning.
- Other issues: Loneliness of being an outlier in a male domain, where biases are rampant and getting oneself heard, a constant struggle, glass-ceiling effect.
- Women scientists often have to shoulder a disproportionate burden of academic housekeeping in comparison to their male counterparts.
Government measures:
- Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy 2020 target of 30 per cent of women at a post-doctoral level by 2030.
- GATI (by DST) a grading system for institutes based on the enrollment of and impetus to the careers of women in its ranks (it is based on the UK’s Athena Swan Charter)
- The Athena Swan Charteris a framework which is used across the globe to support and transform gender equality within higher education (HE) and research.
- KIRAN (Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through nurturing) Scheme to encourage women Scientists
- CURIE: For infrastructure in women’s universities
- Vigyan Jyoti Scheme: Encourage girls in high school to pursue STEM
- Indo-US Fellowship for Women in STEMM (STEM and Medicine)