Indian women

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Indian womens prospective on gender equality
Fight or flight!

• Kamalesh K Gulia, PhD
• National Brain Research Centre
• NH-8, Nainwal Mode, Manesar 122050
• Haryana, India

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July 30, 2009
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• In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries (globally)
• No access to institutions of higher learning
  and labs which prevented them from participation
  in the scientific revolution. 
• The exceptions in the 19th century
• Mary Somerville, Agnes Pockels.
• Historical presence of Indian women intellectual
  in the 12th century
• Lilavati 

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Lilavati Bhaskaracharyas daughter
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• Gargi, Maitrayee, the natural philosophers,
  Sanskrit Vedic literature.
• Rusa wrote a medical text on the diseases of
  women.
• Khana, the Bengal poetess, who learnt astronomy
  and composed astrological verses.
• Noor Mahal invented the process of distilling the
  perfume (attar of roses) the method for weaving
  cashmere shawl.
• Beginning of enlightenment via the social
  reform movement
• Introduction of modern education in the
  19thCentury.
• Encouragement of literacy of women.
• Jyotiba Phule who started a girls school at Pune
  in 1849.
• Women allowed to attend classes at Madras Medical
  College in 1875.
• Kadambini Ganguly, the first Indian lady doctor.

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Journey to success

• 1.
• 2.
• 3.

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?
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Break in carriers Hurdles?

• Unfortunately, as women who attain their Ph.Ds,
  many of them drop out of the pipeline .. return
  to work after breaks. In addition to adverse
  working conditions, there is the direct or
  indirect gender bias
• The notion that everything else being equal,
  rather employ a man..
• Traditional mindsets
• men as sole breadwinners
• women as being child-bearers
  home-makers
• A mockery of the educational inputs !!!
• Increasing competition in todays world of
  enormous specializations

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Hurdlescontinue

• Women do not get scientific recognition, are
  rarely recommended nominated for awards or
  expertships.
• Low representation of such women in policy-making

delay adversely affected the career prospects in
Research-cum teaching
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Men who face adversity (for instance, lack of
jobs, denial of promotions or rejection of their
papers) More frequently get angry !
blame the system ! Women who face the same
situation often Lose confidence in their
abilities as scientists ! blame themselves
!
Constant bombardment with negative feedback Low
self esteem!
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In Research A large drop-outs after a certain
stage !!!

• This is because, perhaps, research is more
  demanding work compared to teaching alone.
• One has to go a long way to reach higher level
  and hurdles do come more often at any stage of
  research.
• Women married to a professor / research
  personnel, if they are performing well, they too
  continue in research, you put certain condition
  for marriage (again to decrease the effect of
  social parameter).
• But the society really feels that research is
  hell !!! So after some time (marriage / kids) or
  so, they drop out.
• Instability I am working in a contract research
  job which is due to end in September. But there
  is possibility of extension.

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Falling off the academic bandwagon Proving
credibility every time ?

• The postdoc to principal investigator
  transition Women are more likely to quit
  45 of the PDFs in the BMS in US, but 5-7
  hold
• faculty positions.
• Male bastions
• A study on 38 high-impact journals in BMS,
  India Corresponding/ senior authors- 85.7
  men, 14.3
• women, despite the higher representation of
  women
• in these fields (Vineeta Bal, NII, New
  Delhi)

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Lack of power

• India a large percentage of women do not have
  power at home, at work
• They cannot take decisions independently not even
  related to their own life.
• They have to take permission of male members for
  each and every issue.
• They don't have any say in important household
  matters and not in matter of their own marriage.

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Glass ceiling More evident at higher level

• Evidence of the glass ceiling for women in
  terms of opportunities for academic advancement
  subtle
• Employment opportunities and career growth for
  women in national laboratories and good
  universities are limited.
• Few women receive recognition through awards and
  academy fellowships.

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Under-representation of womenSharper at the
level of heads of departments, in scientific
bodies, and in awards granted for meritorious
research 7-10 women professors in the most
life science departments in country. The
challenge of attracting and retaining good women
scientists is even greater today when the other
sectors (IT) pulling them out of science with the
attractions of high salaries for less demanding
work.
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Exceptional and outstanding !!!

• Any woman scientist who has been successful has
  created her own support structures.
• To be a good scientist and a happy human being, a
  woman has to have extraordinary drive !!
• a dose of luck !!!
• I am not sure that all men who make it in science
  have necessarily to have extraordinary drive
  !?!?!
• Equality is not part of their attitude men just
  find difficult to tolerate a woman in a higher
  position.
• CSIR 42 laboratories none has women as
  Director

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Can rules/ quotas help to some extent!

• Successful women in science have had to work
  hard.
• Often fighting difficult personal battles to
  reach senior
• positions.
• Therefore, view quotas as a measure that may
  undervalue their merit and the struggles they
  have had to wage.
• But yes, in the beginning to enter into the
  mainstream system.

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• Although new opportunities in science for women
  were created in the 19th and the early 20th
  century, the only women who could fully enjoy
  such new circumstances were those who
• had full-time domestic help (making marriage,
  motherhood, and a career possible).
• were not expected to be the chief
  breadwinner--giving them the leeway to enter a
  relatively low-paying field.
• Marie Curie etc..Lilavatigrown and groomed in a
  enriched scientific environment..

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Remedial measures !!!!

• Facilitating programmes that would attract more
  girls/ women particularly from under-privileged
  classes into science, and help their retention in
  science career Financial
• Support systems to reduce the stress on women
  scientists- crutches, flexi-timings etc.
• Women scientists to bring about significant
  change by working at the grass-root level for
  women empowerment making opportunity available
  whenever required.

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continue. Mid-career breaks Age relaxation in
recruitment - counting only the years in which a
person had worked. To be highlight and reward
the challenging role models to motivate
others. Kalpana Chawla- space shuttle Columbia
for a 16 day out of the world experience. The
NASA chief called her a Terrific Astronaut. Dr
Aditi Pant- the first Indian woman to participate
in the cruise to the icy continent, Antarctica.
A good representation of women in top
scientific bodies.
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• The Third World Organization for women in Science
  (TWOWS) 1993
• First international forum to unite eminent
  women scientists and scientific institutions in
  the South the objective of strengthening their
  role in the development process and promoting
  their representation in scientific and
  technological leaderships. 
• Department of Science and Technology 2003
• Women scientist programme

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• Yes, there will be all sorts of problems that we
  will have to face
• Break the barriers !
• Strive for excellence !!
• Groom your passions !!!
• Live our dreams !!!!!
• Golden age !!!
• President of India
• Chairperson of the leading ruling party
• Head, Department of Physiology, AIIMS
• Founding and past Director, NBRC

Fight or flight!
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Thank you very much!