Despite policy interventions, corporate diversity initiatives, and educational reforms, women remain highly underrepresented globally in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). 

Current Situation Of Women in STEM

• Low Overall Representation: According to Unesco’s 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report, women constituted only 35 percent of STEM graduates, and their share had seen negligible growth over the previous decade.
• Worse in Emerging Fields: In high-demand areas like Artificial Intelligence, cloud computing, and engineering, female representation further drops to just 12 to 26 percent.
• Confidence Gap: Girls perform on par with boys in science and math during early schooling years.  Despite early success, girls’ confidence declines as they grow older, pushing them away from STEM careers.
• Cultural Stereotypes: STEM fields are often seen as “masculine” domains, discouraging female participation. Girls are subtly taught that technical and analytical skills aren’t for them, affecting self-belief.
• Role of the Education System
  • Biased Career Counselling: Counselling practices often reinforce traditional gender roles, rather than challenge them.
  • Lack of Role Models: A visible absence of female scientists and engineers deprives girls of aspirational figures.
  • Unengaging Pedagogy: Teaching methods in STEM rarely actively engage girls through hands-on learning, making subjects feel inaccessible.
• Impact on Career Choices: These combined factors lead many girls to internalise the belief that they do not belong in STEM, resulting in lower enrolment and participation in higher education and professional STEM fields.

India’s Challenge: Leaky Pipeline effect 

• High Female Graduation, Low Workforce Retention
  • India has a relatively high percentage of female STEM graduates at 43 percent.
  • However, this does not translate into sustained workforce participation.
  • Women make up only 26 percent of India’s technology sector employees
  • Their numbers decline significantly in senior leadership roles.
• Systemic Workplace Barriers: Workplace cultures are a major hindrance, characterised by: Inflexible schedules, Inadequate maternity and childcare support, Implicit biases in hiring and promotion
  • These factors contribute to what researchers call the leaky pipeline effect, where women exit STEM professions at disproportionately high rates.
• Complexities Unique to the Indian Context: 
• • Regional disparities: Southern states show more women’s empowerment compared to northern states
  • Caste and Socio-Economic Barriers: Caste dynamics and socio-economic factors compound challenges for women
  • Rural and Semi-Urban Challenges:  In rural and semi-urban areas, limited access to quality STEM education and societal expectations around marriage and caregiving further restrict career choices
  • Urban Pressures: Even urban, educated women face pressure to prioritise family over career, often leading to mid-career dropouts
  • Gender Imbalance in Innovation Ecosystems: India’s thriving startup ecosystem, despite its focus on innovation, remains overwhelmingly male-dominated
    

Situation Of Other Asian Economies

• Japan and South Korea report even lower female STEM graduation rates, at 16% and 20%, respectively.
• China, though comparable to India with around 40% female STEM graduates, also struggles to ensure smooth transition to employment for women.
• These patterns demonstrate that: 
  • Raising enrollment alone is not enough.
  • Workplace inequities must be addressed in parallel to achieve real gender parity in STEM careers.

The Imperative for a Structural Revolution

• The gender gap in STEM has wide-ranging consequences beyond just representation.
• Excluding women from these fields undermines innovation and economic growth.
• Homogeneous AI and machine learning teams often develop systems that are biased and discriminatory.
• The lack of diverse perspectives doesn’t just reflect inequality — it builds discrimination into the very tools and technologies shaping our future.
• Inclusive AI development requires diverse voices and ideas from all genders to ensure fairness, equity, and relevance in technological solutions.

Way Forward

• Early Education Reforms: Prioritise gender-responsive pedagogy. Curriculums must highlight women’s contributions in STEM and actively counteract stereotypes.
• Career Guidance Programmes: Restructure these programmes to challenge, rather than reproduce, traditional notions of gendered career paths. Provide proper guidance where girls face challenges.
• Workplace Transformation: Universities and employers must implement:
  • Targeted mentorship initiatives
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Transparent advancement criteria to retain and promote women in technical roles
  • Essential facilities like crèche support and maternity leave to prevent mid-career dropouts
• Robust Policy Interventions:  Many nations, including India, have introduced STEM education initiatives, but fewer than half explicitly incorporate gender equity objectives. This must change. 
  • Policies need: Enforceable mandates, Measurable outcomes, Attention to state-level variations in enforcement, Gender-disaggregated data collection to identify and address issues effectively.

Conclusion

India, with its vast pool of female STEM talent and dynamic tech sector, can emerge as a leader in this transformation if we take deliberate, systemic action to dismantle the barriers that have kept women on the margins for far too long. The time for incremental change has passed; what is needed now is nothing short of a structural revolution

DOWNLOAD PDF