While science has traditionally been a male-dominated field, recent years have been an exciting time for women, with many at the helm of path-breaking, life-changing discoveries. From developing a revolutionary vaccine to combat COVID-19 in record time or inventing a technique to edit genes, women have been at the forefront of some of the most impactful scientific research and discoveries in recent years.
Given the growth in roles of women scientists, researchers and engineers in high-profile positions worldwide – not to mention the expanding job opportunities — I was optimistic that careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) would have become highly sought-after choices for many young women.
And yet, women and girls continue to be significantly underrepresented in these fields. According to the UN, only about 30% of researchers worldwide are women, and less than a third of female students pursue STEM subjects in university. The US, where I live and work, faces this problem, along with India, which presents a particularly curious case of gender disparity in STEM. In India, while women form nearly 43% of their graduate cohorts in STEM subjects, only 14% of the scientists, engineers and technologists in research and development institutions are women, as per the United Nations. The gap begins to rise with fewer women pursuing doctoral degrees, which translates into fewer tenured positions in the field.
India’s economy has seen a steady rise in STEM jobs every year. In fact, the demand-supply gap for skilled talent to fill these jobs is fast-growing, with India expected to have 12 million vacancies for engineering jobs alone in the next 5 years, according to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy. Not only do these jobs pay well, but they also offer opportunities to change the world.
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