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Gender Issues: Indian Academia
Rohini M. Godbole
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
Leadership for Academicians Program,
Kolkata,
February 15, 2019

Introductory remarks
Why is there a need for mainstreaming gender?
I want to give my own take on it and then
present the Indian story. Follow it up with a few
comments on what are measures of gender equity, how to
define goals and how to achieve them in the Indian
Context.
The issue of diversity (particularly WiS) has many facets,
but there are common features which cut across cultures.
Hence a cross-cultural discussion can only help.
Introductory remarks
Why is there a need for mainstreaming gender?
I want to give my own take on it and then
present the Indian story. Follow it up with a few
comments on what are measures of gender equity, how to
define goals and how to achieve them in the Indian
Context.
The issue of diversity (particularly WiS) has many facets,
but there are common features which cut across cultures.
Hence a cross-cultural discussion can only help.

Restrict myself to Academia.
This means I will not cover STEM women
working in Industry, health sector or for
example agricultural sector. For that matter
Engineers working in Institutions running
mission mode projects like e.g. the case of
Indian Space Research Organisation also not
quite covered
Even in Academia the subject has many facets.
I will not discuss much about gender issues in
Humanities for example.
Gender and Indian Academia

Discussions of diversity take a completely new
meaning in the Indian context.
Even when I try to specialise myself so much and
talk only of Science (education & research),
different regions in India will tell you different
stories.
I will try to give you some flavour of some of these
differences.
Gender and Indian Academia

Diversity (racial, gender, geographic) among
practioners of science is small across all sciences.
Is that necessarily bad?
Yes. it is certainly not the optimal use of
humanity's intellectual potential. Diversity can
only be good for science, as for any creative
activity. (If people want can be discussed later)
Changing economic realities mean, at least in
India, that the number of women participating
in science is going to increase even more.
Important to discuss what efforts will make this
more efficient and more effective!
Reasons for the dialogue?

One way to begin the discussion:
Do we know that diversity adds to excellence in
science?
Why should this be an issue at all?
Clear reason: diversity in Science really small
People ask: is it necessarily bad?
To discuss this further useful to see some myths/biases
and opinions.
Why the issue needs to be discussed?

Some comments, myths and biases.
Tim Hunt (Nobel Prize winner 2011: Physiology and
Medicine) (Interview in 2015)
“Let me tell you about my trouble with girls … three
things happen when they are in the lab … You fall in love
with them, they fall in love with you and when you
criticise them, they cry.”
Harvard President: Larry Summers
“Women lack capabilty in Mathematical and
Physical Sciences”

Gender diversity necessary?
U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts (2015)
“What unique perspective does a minority student
bring to a physics class?”
A somewhat rheotrical question asked by him not so
much to say that a minority student should not be
admitted but more while discussing university's
argument for ' affirmative' action in giving
preference to students to increase diversity in class.

Gender diversity necessary for society?
Willmien Kets and Sandroni : (October 2015)
Diverse groups are less conformist and more willing to go
against the status quo if that leads to better outcomes.
Whether a physics graduate goes on to work at a tech
company, becomes a scientist, or ends up as a manager, it
will be critical for her success as well as her employer’s
whether she is an original thinker.
The url is:
fortune.com/2015/12/16/affirmative-action-u-s-supreme-
court-diversity

Credentials to talk about Gender in academia
(other than obvious one )
1)Founder chair of WiS panel of the Indian Academy of
Sciences (IASc)
2) Involved in bringing out Indian National Science
Academy (INSA) report on 'Science Career for Women in
India ' in 2004 . This was first such official report.
My credentials to talk on the subject?.

3) Chair of the WiS panel of the Indian National Science
Academy and Member Joint Panel of all the three
academies for 'Women in Science’.
4) Was member also of a similar group for AASSA
Association of Academies and Science Societies of Asia
5)Member, Standing Committee of the Government of
India for Women in Science.

Some research/publications related to Women in Science:
6) Co-author of survey-report: 'Trained Scientific Woman
Power: what fraction are we losing and why?’
7) Editor of two books to motivate young girls and women to do
science.
Example of some International Connections:
8) International career motives, repatriation and career success of
Indian women in Science & Technology
(Journal of Global Mobility, 2014).
Reimara Valk and Mandy Van der Velde
Utrecht School of Governance, Utrecht University, Marloes Van Engen ,
Department of Human Resource Studies, Tilburg University,
and Rohini Godbole, IISc.

Survey report is available from the web
page of the WiS Panel:
http://www.ias.ac.in/womeninscience/surveyre
port_web.pdf
Survey
Trained Scientific Woman
Power:
How much are we losing and
Why?
A joint project between
natural scientists and social

References
Association of Academies and
Societies of Sciences in Asia:
AASSA report
India Report prepared by
Rohini Godbole and R.
Ramaswamy

:Sources for Numbers:
1) A report brought out by the Indian National Science
Academy (INSA) (Mehtab Bamji, Rohini Godbole, Vinita Bal)
The report led to formation of
a DST task force for women in
Science.
2)The DST Task Force report, Ed: M. Bamji.
This led to the formation of Standing
committee on WiS which has started
functioning now.

3) A very recent survey of
the Govt. of India.
This survey contains a lot of
information on the aspects
of gender in participation in
higher education.
Will use some info from here
This is how it should be.
Gender should be a subtext
of all our surveys and
analysis

:Inate abilities? Indian story?:
At least in academia women are not
perceived as being incapable of intellectual
attainment in mathematics or science (many
university prize winners in science are
women). We dont seem to have our
Larry Summers
But we still dont seem to be exactly
inundated with women doing science!

First Current Status!
The presence of women students in Schools and
Colleges high and their level of achievement high
However participation of Women in Research in
Science is low, presence in high positions in
academics low as well
Serious leakages in the pipeline from college
to university to scientific careers

Higher Education in India: 2000-2001
1/3 students in science
women! Increasing!
Drop off not after
M.Sc. The leaking pot
is not here!
Even at Ph.D. level #
in science not too small
wrt arts and medicine.
More data in the back up slides. We can look at that later .

Distribution among states and categories
54% participation from 6 states, gender
distribution more or less the same in all these
states. Same is true for gender distribution among

However
Numbers decrease with level of Institution.
For example IIT's, IISER's, IISc: fraction of
women students lower than Universities.
Numbers start falling rapidly AFTER Ph.D.
Same is true for faculty at prestigious
universities and institutions!

Percentage of Women Sicentists
The number of women in different organisations.

Percentage of Women in faculty
In state universities percentages of women much higher,
across all disciplines! But the share of these institutions in
research?

An obvious conclusion
 In India the participation of women in
studying science
or for that matter in
teaching science, at all levels,
is NOT LOW AT ALL.
 However, number of women
doing science
is certainly NOT commensurate with their
participation in the other two aspects of scientific
activity.
 Further it is even less when one considers decision
making positions in this context.

Indian scenario
The presence of women students in Schools and
Colleges high and their level of achievement high
However participation of Women in Research in
Science is low, presence in high positions in
academics, representations in science academies
(about 5-10%) , fraction in prestigious awards are
low (like 2 %) too. Only one woman academy
president in 75 year history of three academies
Many of the major science institutions have
NEVER had a woman director! Situation

Serious leakages in the pipeline from college (40%) to
university(30%) to Ph.D. (25%) s to successful scientific
careers (10%). So in India the need seems to stop this
precipitious drop after Ph.D.
With the increased spending on Science as advocated and
envisaged by almost everybody, one of the issues is Human
Resource Development.
We can not afford to then not to deploy this trained human
resource. So in the case of women scientists the problem is
DEPLOYMENT of TRAINED Human resource as much as its
DEVELOPMENT.
Indian scenario

But some things are better than other countries
First women elected to the Royal Society (1660): Kathleen Lonsdale and
Marjory Stephenson in 1945.
In 1979, Yvonne Choquet-Bruhat was the first woman elected to the French
Academy of Sciences (1666).
Florence Sabin (1871-1953), elected in 1925, was the first woman member
of the NAS (1863)
Whereas Janaki Ammal was a Founding Fellow of the Indian Academy of
Sciences in 1934. She was the first director of Geological Survey of
Independent India.!
But first woman fellow in Physics division was elected in 1975 for one
academy and 1992 in the other!
Some things are better

Two pronged action
There is a two pronged course of action:
1] Societal, Mind set etc.
2] Policy

One must create the means to facilitate negotiation of a
science career.
Awareness that it is not impossible to maintain a
career/family balance needs to spread to parents, the
family and colleagues so that this is an acceptable option.
Sensitize the parents and co students alike!
Address gender imbalance from an early age: include
proactively young girls in programs like Science Olympiads
or INSPIRE (a recent initiative of the Department of Science
and Technology).
Offer financial independence through fellowships.
Actions

Enablers
Started in 2003-2004.

Effect of special schemes started in 2001 by the department
of science and technology, DST. But these are basically soft
money positions.
The effect?

Department of Biotechnology: DBT
Many enablers, schemes mostly to encourage
young women to come back after a break.
Special schemes oriented towards biotechnology.

The Indian Academy of Sciences
constituted a "Women in
Science" panel to examine
these questions in the Indian
context.
The Indian National Science
Academy had parallel effort,
as did the Department of
Science and Technology, with
different emphases.

All the three academies have come together and
have formed a common panel for women in
science.
Idea is to come up with ideas and suggestions for
policy planning

Things academicians can do
Initiatives:
1) Role Model programm:
Brought out book of (auto) biographical sketches
of about 100 women Scientists:
a) Lilavati's Daughters: Women Scientists of
India
b) DST brought out a book called “The
Balancing Act''
2) Holding a series of workshops for career in
science!

We felt that rather than look either
to world history or to our own
history for scientific heroines for
inspiration, it was necessary to tell
the story as it is now! Started in
2006 and published in 2008.
Reprinted 5 times
What does it take to be a woman
scientist in India TODAY?
We invited about 200 women of
achievement, and profiled about
100 of them. All from our modern
history.
Similar to 'she speaks'
program of Royal Society
but in fact predates it!

The book is available from Indian Academy. DST
supported distribution of this book to schools and
colleges, Translations in some local languages.

Common Themes
Parental (and in-law) support.
Strong role models in schools and colleges,
usually female.
Help during early career, especially for raising
children.
Mentors, senior colleagues.
Chance.
These observations can then direct possible
actions for retention and the aim is to remove
Chance from the list!

Anandibai Joshee (1865-1887)
Anandibai Joshee, the first Hindu
woman to obtain a medical degree
in the US at the University of
Pennsylvania.
Her thesis was on
Obstetrics as she lost her child at
birth at the age of 14!
Learnt alphabets (marathi) at the
age of 12! went to the USA at
17/18. She died in Poona back in
India, at the age of 22.

D Sc (1931, Michigan),
Founder Fellow of the Indian
Academy of Sciences.
First DG of Indian Zoological
Survey, Civilian honour:
Padmashri.
Renowned botanist and plant
cytologist who made
significant contributions to
genetics,evolution,
phytogeography and
ethnobotany.
Remained single by choice!

R.J. Hans Gill, Ph.D. 1965
FTWAS, FNA, FNASc, FASc R.J. Hans Gill in School. She
dressed as a boy so she could
go to a school where they
taught mathematics!

Mentorship programs of the WiS
A book for girls :
contains a small
description of the
Science done by
women whose
stories are in the
book .
They also discuss future
challenges in their area.
Stories of 25 women.

Mentorship programs of the WiS
This book has been
published along with a
non academic publisher
and there are difft.
versions of such small
books that are being
brought about in
different regions and
different languages.

A regional program: rural area
Karnataka Govt. has launched a program called
'Chetana' for young girls from rural areas.
A cohort of about 280 was chosen and are being
mentored for two years. SAMSUNG and INFOSYS
Supported part of it finiancially
IISc hosted a group for ten days exposing them to
STEMM subjects and widened their horizons.
Given India's rural population more these kind of
efforts need to be widened.

Fraction of girl students in the Indian Institutes of
Technology (IIT) is small . It has special entrance exams
and special preparatory coaching classes!
Govt. has created additional student positions as well as a
month long sensitization programs are held where women
students spend a month at different IIT’s
At the same time in Indian Institutes of Science Education
and Research which do not have a special entrance
examination the fraction of girl students is higher than in
IIT’s without any special measure!
All this gives food for thought .

Loss of trained scientific women power
This problem is really serious.
Survey report ready and available at the WiS web page.
Only 3% of those who have dropped out, said they
dropped out due to family responsibilites.
66% said they did not find jobs commensurate with their
expertise!
Transparency in jobs, women friendly practices such as
creche and on campus housing can go a long way

Policy changes are happening
Major policy changes are being initiated.
But most are limited to providing re-entry
possibilities or follow the spouse ( so to say ) and
still continue engagement in science 'after a
fashion'.
This is really not enough. It presupposes that the
responsibility of navigating family and career is to
be shouldered by woman alone! This needs to
change

Simple things to implement (included in our recommendations)
1) A good creche on every campus (has happened)
2)High priority to young couples for on campus
housing (beginning to be taken seriously)
3)Proactive hiring policies for helping couples manage
dual careers. (This needs more work)
4)Encourage and reward excellence shown by women
(some schemes exist).
5)Improve work climate: including harassment issues.
The last has now started receiving attention.
Summary: simple and immediate

Serious and long term
Gender Audit:
All Institutes must give on the web page
information on fraction/distribution of women in
faculty, students etc.
Should be required to set up graduated goals
after determining their feasibility.
The goals need to be specific to sectors and
discipline

Two points
1)
Lack of numerical representation is a
symptom and achieving numerical
targets does not mean problems are solved!
Achieving the goals will be necessary but
NOT sufficient.
2)
The Goals need to be specific to sectors and
Discipline.

Policy changes are happening
Necessary to think of mechanisms which
change this mind set and allow to navigate this early
period wihtout having to take a break if women so wish!
Important to introduce 'gender neutral' interventions!
Necessary to continue analysis of the situation to identify
crucial policy changes. Involve women in Science in
making these policies!
Some changes need to be mandated by govt. but in some
cases the institutions have to come out to charter new
paths! Happening but not enough!

Level playing field at all levels!
A personal remark:
By and large need to provide level playing field
for women and the rest will take care of itself!
Very little of that level playing fields comes from
Policy changes!

Level playing field at all levels!
Bewarte: excellence always works is a little bit of
a myth!
CNRS study: performance index for women
almost 1.5 to 2 higher! There is a swedish atudy
published in Nature which proves the same!
'Epistemic Injustice' : Miranda Fricker.
An awareness of this in the community is needed!

Conclusions
Conclusions are therefore clear:
Measures need to be taken at all levels
A) Change the mind set
B) Change the policies
C) Special schemes to support young scientists and
mentoring young women !
One important policy is Gender Audit!
Something like Athena-Swann program will be
good! It would need to be tailored to India.
Some of us are trying that.

First medical graduate: Anandibai Joshi (1885)
After 125 years women are equal participants in
medical education, research and practice
For other areas we should not have to wait for
another 125 years. Learn from there.
Important to collect statistics of women in science
sector wise and analyse.
Summary

In the words of my colleague Prof. R,
Ramaswamy, President Indian Academy of
Sciences:
A real commitment to gender sensibilities is
needed, and not just a patronizing attitude that
facilitates women’s careers

What is my take on future vision?

Subject and gender distribution of fellowship
IASc, Bangalore (January 2012):
Subject Women Men Percentage
Total 68 1002 6.8%
Medical 18 60 23%
Math 6 78 7%
Physics 7 187 3%
Chemistry 2 161 1%
Plant and 31 200 15%
Animal
Sciences

Subject and gender distribution of fellowship
TWAS, Trieste (January 2012):
Subject Women Men Percent
Total 6 83 6.8%
Medical 16 112 11.3%
Math 11 108 9%
Physics 10 340 < 1%
Chemistry 11 108 11%
Biological 21 225 8%
Sciences

Bhatnagar Awardees (January 2012)
Total 14 416
Division among disciplines of 14
Medical 4
Math 2
Physics 0
Chemistry 2
Eng. 2
Biology 2

Bhatnagar Awardees (March 2015)
Total 15 446
Division among disciplines of 15
Medical 4
Math 2
Physics 0
Chemistry 3
Eng. 2
Biology 3
Earth Science 1

WNR : reasons for break
Note child
care/elder care is a
reason only in 50%
cases

WNW : perceptions
Note nonavailability
of jobs as a big factor
too in addition

WIR : measures for improvement
Overlaps with
measures
suggested by
other surveys!
For WNW
distribution
among difft.
measures difft.
One size does not fit all!
Need to talk to all of them!

College Education: women participation
35.3% of university science students are women; number
has been increasing. The percentage in science (but not
engineering) is comparable to the overall percentage.

Lack of diversity and loss of science?
Clearly it is silly to say that lack of gender
balance has impeded devleopment of excellent
science.
Question is can we point out something where
the lack of opprtunities for women clearly caused
science to lose something . In other words
achieving gender equity will aovid such losses

Sophie Germain (1776-1831)
Self taught. Had to fight against the
family and society. It was not
proper for a 'middle' class girl to
study mathematics and science!
Lack of formal training!
Women not allowed in Ecole
Polytechnique
Used a pen name of a friend to
communicate with Lagrange, Gauss.
Important work on theory of
elasticity and fermat's last theorem
First woman to win a prize from
French Academy
The family took away her
candles so that she should
not study at night!

Marie Curie:
Life is not very easy for any of
us. But what of that? We must
have perseverance and above all
confidence in oursleves.
We must believe that we are
gifted for something and that
must be attained!
Marie Curie (1867-1934)
Scientist par exellence:
man or woman!

So what do we learn?
Study of stories of women like Marie Curie, Emmy Noether, :
All supremely confident of their science and also enjoyed their science.
Mentor support was essential.
Attitude of the community is not always helpful for women to conduct a career
in science.
More sociological than academic. Academia will normally bow to
supreme achievements. None the less sociological biases leads to
illogical obstacles. Imaginable that this can be a major cause in other
cases.
Even if academic achievements were appreciated, here seems to be a bias
in recognition and awards coming women's way!

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