The Intelligent Indian

STEMinism in India

STEMinism in India (SII) is a grassroots project in India to raise awareness around Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields through feminist approaches to bridge gender gaps in STEM. SII will build the capacity of young female students of 11 – 16 years of age, by engaging them in STEM subjects through an interactive way of project-based learning, active learning and gamifications.

Background

In modern India as we witness the growing opportunities in the STEM fields, women in India continue to be under-represented. An under-representation of women in the STEM sectors is a paradoxical challenge for the country. According to All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2018-19 by Ministry of Education, women constitute nearly 43 percent of the total STEM enrolments in the country; however, the disparity becomes starker with subsequent qualifications. Only three percent of women enroll in PhD in science and six percent opt for a PhD in Engineering and Technology. Further, they account for only 14 percent of the total scientists, engineers, technologists in research development institutions. This ‘leaky pipeline’ in STEM fields leads to more women dropping out and fewer women reaching higher levels as professional engineers or scientists.
As per the United Nations, women constitute merely 14% of the total 280,000 scientists, engineers and technologists in research development institutions in India.