In India, a large number of women are taking up scientific courses, especially biological sciences, but the numbers are skewed towards males in the technological courses. In 2020-21, 52 per cent of a total of 49.12 lakh BSc students were female, but only 28.5 per cent of 14.4 lakh BE students were female, the All India Survey on Higher Education 2020-21, conducted by the Ministry of Education, shows.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, ABP Live asked eminent virologist Dr Gagandeep Kang her perspective on women in science in general, and the above trends in particular. Currently a professor in Christian Medical College, Vellore, Dr Kang is known for her work on India’s rotavirus vaccine and building surveillance networks for rotavirus as well as typhoid. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she helped the government with inputs, and the society in general by "communicating the current state of science", in her own words.
Excerpts from the interview conducted over email:
How do you view the trends of women taking up science?
Gagandeep Kang: In India, as students there are plenty of women in the biological sciences and to some extent in chemistry, much fewer in physics, mathematics and engineering. Unfortunately, the further we progress in our careers, the fewer the women we see. And at leadership level, the proportion of women is miniscule.
What are the reasons for these trends?
The reasons are many, and relate largely to how society views women's education and professional abilities. I don't think the low numbers are about STEM, it is more about women being enabled to study and to work in any field.
Does a woman scientist face any situation that her male peers might not have to go through?
In any situation, there are issues that women encounter which male colleagues do not have to deal with—of having to manage bringing up children and manage their schedules, of family pressures, of colleagues who view you as incompetent because you are female, but I think there is really no point on focusing on the negatives without also having some solutions.
What is the way forward?
Potential solutions are not simple or easy but are essential, and the first is to measure the participation of women and set ourselves a goal of equal participation in all sectors.