Gist of Gender Discrimination in STEM Related Jobs | Gist of Rajya Sabha TV / RSTV (now Sansad TV) - UPSC PDF Download

The Big Picture: Gender Discrimination in STEM-related Jobs

Introduction

Women comprises of 40 per cent of the STEM (Science, Technology, engineering & Mathematics) graduates in India. This is the highest number of women graduates in the world.
At the same time, the share of women in STEM jobs is at mere 14 per cent. This is a major issue of concern in STEM related employment.

Gender-divide

• In large parts of the country, the role of women has been stereotyped such that the major responsibility of child-bearing practices is expected to be performed by women.
• The society has not been able to change according to the needs of the time, place as well as environment.
• Women are expected to perform dual responsibilities of family as well as professional commitments more than men.
• Often, women have to relocate in the middle of their career due to marriage and other such personal factors.

Suggestions to bridge the Gender-gap

• There is a need to work at five levels, starting from the individual to the State.
  • Individual
    • More women need to work on attitude, perception in order to break the stereotype set by the society.
    • Many times, women also bound themselves in stereotypical roles.
    • Girls must break the stereotypes and excel in their respective field of work.
  • Family
    • Family should encourage girls to pursue higher studies.
    • Children, boy & girl, should be treated equally in all aspects.
  • Community
    • There is an urgent need to ensure safety for the girls.
    • Community needs to be sensitized about the benefits of girl education.
  • Public system
    • Provide an ecosystem that makes girls feel safe.
  • State
    • The State should continuously engage in behavioral change campaigns.
    • For example, the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign should reach to the most remote areas of the country.
    • Proper implementation and strengthening of existing mechanisms like Vishakha guidelines are needed.
• Provide a level-playing field
  • Establish a clear mechanism for evaluating parameters for gender equality.
  • This will help quantify the problems; generate competition amongst institutions to do better with the passage of time.
• Provide fellowship options
  • Fellowship programs should be promoted.
  • This will help women graduates to encourage to rejoin STEM related jobs.

Conclusion

• It is not biological but cultural factors that are hampering the participation of women in STEM jobs.
• If the problem of gender stereotype is addressed in the right manner, more women will be able to occupy leadership roles in future.
• By advancing gender equality, India can achieve higher annual GDP growth rate by as much as 18 per cent.