Gender Issues: Indian Academia

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

2. 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.

3. Gender and Indian Academia 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 Academiathe subject has many facets. I will not discuss much about gender issues in Humanities for example. I will restrict myself to Gender Issues in Science .

4. Gender and Indian Academia Discussions of diversitytake 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.

5. Reasons for the dialogue? 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!

6. Why the issue needs to be discussed? 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.

7. 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”

8. 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.

9. Gender diversity necessary for society? WillmienKets 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

10. My credentials to talk on the subject?. 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.

11. 3) Chair of the WiSpanel of the Indian National Science Academy and Member Joint Panel of all the three academies for 'Women in Science’. 4)Wasmember 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.

12. 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). ReimaraValk 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.

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

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

15. :Sources for Numbers: 1) Areport brought out by the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) (MehtabBamji, 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.

16. 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

17. :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!

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

20. 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 .

21. Higher education: more recent

22. 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 the categories!

23. 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!

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

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

26. 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.

27. Indian scenario The presence of women students in Schools and Colleges high andtheir level of achievement high However participation of Women in Research in Scienceis 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 changing now!

28. 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

29. Some things are better 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 aFounding 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!

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

31. Actions 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.

32. Enablers Started in 2003-2004.

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

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

35. 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.

36. 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

37. 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!

38. 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!

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

40. 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!

41. AnandibaiJoshee (1865-1887) AnandibaiJoshee, 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.

42. 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!

43. 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!

44. 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.

45. 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.

46. 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.

47. 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 .

48. 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

49. 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

50. Summary: simple and immediate 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.