STEM refers to an interdisciplinary curriculum focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, but women are significantly underrepresented in these fields, comprising only 28% of the workforce. Factors contributing to this gap include stereotypes, harassment, societal pressures, and unequal household responsibilities, which impact women's career opportunities and perpetuate the gender pay gap. Initiatives like the Vigyan Jyoti and GATI schemes aim to promote women's participation in STEM, highlighting the importance of diversity for both social equity and economic advancement.

2. What Is STEM ?
 It is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in specific disciplines
– Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – in an interdisciplinary
and applied approach.
 The STEM acronym was introduced in 2001 by scientific administrators at the
US Science Foundation (NSF).
 The organisation previously used the acronym SMET when referring to the
career fields in those disciplines or a curriculum that integrated knowledge
and skills from those fields.

3. Women Position In STEM
 Women make up only 28% of the workforce in Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and men vastly outnumber women
majoring in most STEM fields in college.
 Even with the STEM fields, there lies a gender divide, with similar numbers
of boys and girls pursuing natural sciences while far more boys looked to
engineering, manufacturing and construction.

4. Why Does The Gap Exist ?
 Stereotypes : The Paucity Of women in STEM is not merely due to skill
inadequacy, but also a result of assigned stereotypical gender roles.
 Harassment : Sexual and other types of harassment in workplace, etc.
 Stress : Stressors related to marriage, childbirth, etc.
 Physical Safety : Physical safety during the commute to work.

5.  Patriarchy : There are patriarchal attitudes in hiring practices or awarding
fellowships and grants,etc.
 Society : Lack of role-models, pressures to conform to social norms and
trapping of domesticity.
 Household Responsibility : Responsibility related to running of
and elder care.

6. Why Does Women’s Underrepresentation
In STEM Fields Matter
 Across the world, there has been a marked absence of women in the
professional realm of STEM subjects – including the IT sector, environment
and climate, medical sciences, etc.
 This underrepresentation is of note because developments in STEM Fields,
particularly in technology, are increasingly shaping all aspects of modern
life – from Chatbots like ChatGPT that are expected o replace workers in
various settings to the ubiquity of social media which shapes identities and
public discourse.

7.  Furthermore, from a career perspective, these fields are generally lucrative
for workers.
 A typical STEM worker earns two-third more than those employed in other
fields, according to Pew Research Centre.
 Therefore, the underrepresentation of women in STEM impacts the overall
gender pay gap as well – women are typically overrepresented in lower-
paying jobs and underrepresented in higher paying jobs such as in STEM
fields.

8. Initiative To Promote Women
Participation
 Vigyan Jyoti Scheme :
1. It is launched by the Department Of Science And Technology.
2. It is intended to create a level-paying field for the meritorious
girls in high-school to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics (STEM) in their higher education.
3. It also offers exposure for girl students from the rural
background to help to plan their journey from school to a job of their choice
in the field of science.

9.  GATI Scheme :
The Gender Advancement For Transforming Institutions (GATI) will
develop a comprehensive Charter and a framework for assessing Gender Equality
in STEM.
 Knowledge Involvement Research Advancement Through Nurturing
(KIRAN) :
1. Launched in 2014-15, the scheme provide opportunities for women
scientists in moving up the academic and administrative ladder.
2. One of the programmes under the KIRAN Scheme – “Women Scientist
Scheme” – provides career opportunities to unemployed women
Scientists and technologists, especially those who had a break in their career.

10. Indian Women Scientists Shaping
History
 Kadambini Ganguly (1861-1923) :
She was India’s First female doctor and practitioner of western
medicine.
 Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi (1865-1887) :
She was the First Indian woman physician and the first woman to
have graduated with a two-year degree in western medicine in the United
States.

11.  Rajeshwari Chatterjee (1922-2010):
She was the First woman engineer from the state of Karnataka , who
received a government scholarship to study abroad in 1946.
 Kalpana Chawla (1962-2003) :
She was the First astronaut of Indian origin to have forayed into
space. She first flew on a space shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mission
specialist and primary robotic arm operator.
 Aditi Pant
She was the first Indian woman to visit Antarctica in 1983 as a part of
the Indian expedition to study Geology and Oceanography.

12. Way Forward
 Role Of Science Academics :
Science academics have to reflect upon their role and contributions
to promote and retain women in science, thereby making science inclusive
and sensitive.
 Affirmative Actions :
Government can examine having a policy of reservation of seats for
women in all research institutions, universities, laboratiories and STEM
organisations.

13.  Awareness Generations :
Gender equality is not just an ethical imperative, but also a business
priority. Organisation with a greater diversity among their executive teams
tend to have higher profits and greater innovation capability. By making
people realise it, we can improve gender inclusivity across different sectors.
 Breaking The Glass-Ceiling Systemically :
Remove the sexism and institutional obstacles that prevent more
women from entering the scientific field.