Hyderabad: A significant gender gap has persisted in the fields of science and academia for several decades. Taking into consideration the limited participation of women and their concerns of pay parity, the United Nations Organization declared February 11 as ‘International Day of Women and Girls in Science’, in the year 2013.
The occasion aims to increase participation of women in science and research by providing equal opportunities and support to the bright young minds. By improving working conditions and expanding perspectives, the campaign aims to achieve gender equality in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Although, there has been a sea change in women’s involvement in these spheres in the last decade, still only a small number of women hold leading positions in such firms today. It is also a matter of surprise that there have been only 22 female Nobel laureates from the science discipline.
This is an indication that there is still a long way to go to cover this divide and give women their due in the field of science and technology.