Indian women’s prospective on
gender equality: Fight or flight!
Kamalesh K Gulia, PhD
National Brain Research Centre
NH-8, Nainwal Mode, Manesar 122050
Haryana, India
July 30, 2009
GES-IUPS-2009, Kyoto
• 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: Bhaskaracharya’s daughter
1114-1185 AD
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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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Break in carriers: Hurdles?
Unfortunately, as women who attain their Ph.D’s, 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 today’s world of enormous
specializations…
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Hurdles……continue
• 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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Constant bombardment with
negative feedback: Low self esteem!
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 !
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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 women
Sharper 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…..Lilavati…grown 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 scientistscrutches, 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 !!!
Fight or flight!
President of India
Chairperson of the leading ruling party
Head, Department of Physiology, AIIMS
Founding and past Director, NBRC
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Thank you very much!