Context: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has expressed concern over under-representation of women in science and technology jobs. Speaking at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai, on Tuesday, the Vice President noted that while about 40% of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) graduates comprise women in the country, which is the highest in the world, women's share in science and technology jobs is a mere 14%.This, he said, is a major issue of concern in STEM-related employment, and urged that steps be taken to rectify the situation. He also spoke about the trends in STEM and how we can tap the potential of the data science revolution in job creation.
Current Scenario

• India produces the highest percentage of women STEM graduates in the world (about 40 per cent), their share in STEM jobs in India is very low at 14 per cent and needs to be improved. 
• The quantity of lady college students in IITs went up from simply 8 per cent in 2016 to almost 20 per cent now.

Key Points

• Science, technology, engineering, and medicine – together known as ‘STEM’ fields – suffer from lack of women, especially in India.
• In school exam results, we hear of how girls have outshone boys, but when it comes to those who take up research in later life, the number of women is minuscule.
• This means that many of our best brains that showed the maximum potential do not pick research as a career.
• A major issue of concern in STEM-related employment is the under-representation of women.
• Diversity in STEM was absolutely necessary and the need of the hour is to bridge the gender-divide in employment,"

Present Status

• According to the 2018 UNESCO Institute for Statistics’ report on women in science, 44% of bachelor students and 41% of doctoral students in India are female.
• Women face “double burden syndrome” - a culture where both men and women feel the family and household duties are primarily the woman's responsibility.
• According to a recent survey on Women in STEM, 81 per cent women in India perceive gender bias in performance evaluations.
• While more women are enrolling in university, relatively few pursue careers in research.
• The ideal fraction of 50% of female students has not been achieved.
• There is a drastic drop in the percentage of women from the doctoral level to the scientist/faculty position.
• There is a “major paucity” of women at the senior-most administrative and policy making positions in scientific institutions.

Challenges

• When highly qualified women drop out of the workforce, it results in considerable depletion of national resources in science and technology.
• Stereotypes encountered by girls to the family-caring responsibilities.
• Patriarchal society.
• Women face bias when choosing a career.
• Women continue to face the same kind of discrimination at work as they face in society.
• According to a recent Accenture research report, the gender pay gap in India is as high as 67 percent.

Fact Sheet of Gender Inequality in India

• According to the Global Gender Gap Index 2020, a study covering 153 economies, India has slipped to the 112th spot from its 108th position in 2018.
• The report also says it would take nearly a hundred years to close the gender gap in various fields in India compared to the time it would take in other countries.
• According to the WEF’s Gender Gap Index, India ranks 147th out of 149 countries on the health and survival of women and 142nd out of 149 in terms of economic participation of women.
• According to the World Bank, India ranks 163rd out of 181 countries in female labour force participation.
• Also, India is one of the few countries in the world where women’s work participation rates have fallen sharply — from 29% in 2004-5 to 22% in 2011-12 and to 17 % in 2017-18.
• According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), a large percentage of all the jobs lost last year were held by women.
• Out of the 11 million jobs lost in 2018, women accounted for 8.8 million.
• Indian women receive 34% fewer wages than men for equivalent work, spend around five hours a day on unpaid care work compared to a mere half an hour for men and are primarily engaged in low-paying, informal sector work.

Suggestion

• Under Article 51A of the Constitution of India it is a duty of every citizen of India to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.
• Despite having the top-quality talent, the exam-focused education model of India has limited students when it comes to innovation, problem-solving and creativity. This is where the STEM players come in to fill this gap.

Mindset changes –

• Educating boys and girls equally.
• Gender sensitization of male colleagues.

An integrated approach is needed along with women-centric policy making where women are not treated as passive beneficiaries but are seen as potential contributors to society.

• The scientific community should facilitate women’s participation as both colleagues and leaders.Along with legislative cushions like the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, Maternity Benefit Act, social sensitization towards the issues of women is important.

Measures for increasing education levels should be balanced with the creation of jobs and better facilities for women.

• Special Schemes and affirmative action for women scientists.
• Creating website repository of women scientists & their work.
• Incentivizing institutions to be gender friendly.
• Open and collaborative work culture.

India has shown a dedicated will to bring changes by pledging to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals which include ideals of gender justice and women empowerment.

• Only with constructive planning and comprehensive changes at various levels of society can the new emerging “women” be able to realize her complete potential in India.
• Creating appropriate infrastructure to help women balance family & professional Responsibilities.Collaboration between scientists and social scientists for a better understanding of the problem.

Road Ahead
Contributions of women in the STEM sector should be highlighted in textbooks. This may motivate the next generation of girls to be leaders in the STEM sector.

• In India, we have many examples of women researchers who are involved in exciting scientific experiments. It is imperative that we understand and remove the sexism and institutional obstacles that prevent more women from entering the scientific field.
• Women-oriented government initiatives such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing (KIRAN) Scheme, represent steps in the right direction.