Study Reveals Inadequate Women’s Presence Among STEM Academia in the Country

A study published in the preprint repository bioRxiv has revealed that women constitute only about 16% of Indian science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty members at Indian universities and institutions.

The study, “Women”s Representation in Indian Academia and Conferences,” conducted by scientists Shruti Muralidhar and Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan, emphasizes the need to have more women researchers in Indian academia. “Not only are they [women] under-represented, but they are also under-highlighted, under-mentored, and overlooked for awards, grants, and other career-advancing steps,” the study read.

Acknowledging the deep-rooted biases entrenched in society, the study found that biology, which is considered a soft science, witnessed the highest women”s presence (22.5%). However, engineering had the least number of women (8.3%).

According to Shruti Muralidhar, the lack of women”s presence in the engineering field compared to biology is a global phenomenon. The study found that the dearth of women”s presence is also evident in India”s top eight STEM institutes, including IITs and IISc, where women faculty members account for only 10% of the total.

Moreover, half of the STEM women faculty are novices, and only 26% constitute senior-level positions. Furthermore, there were deliberate attempts to downplay the shortage of women faculty and attribute their absence in conferences, talks, and panel discussions to their limited numbers.

The study also revealed that discriminatory practices entrenched in society abstain women from this pivotal sector. The authors propose measures such as career grants, removing the age barrier, stable mentorships, and support systems as recommendations to improve women”s presence in STEM academia.