Background
“Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations”
Could’ve, Would’ve, Should’ve
There is a deep, inherent fascination with exploring the world and unlocking its secrets within every person, a curiosity that is often suppressed or sidelined due to various peripheral factors which leaves a gaping hole in the place of the knowledge and talent that “could have” been acquired. This lack becomes even more alarming when we realise that this information “would have” been able to solve the many problems the world faces, the brunt of which is borne by the present and the future of the human race. While efforts should have been made to progress science and other fields, we instead observe a lack in investment, staff quality, and salaries, and more importantly, the insufficient motivation and confidence in prospective students
But what does gender have to do with it?
That really is the question. Besides a lack of resources, one of the more bizarre reasons why we see a disinterest in science is in fact based on inaccurate assumptions, misogyny, and even psychological subliminal messaging. In a country like India, children from a very young age are pushed towards the sciences. However, it is a universally acknowledged fact that higher education systems in India discourage female participation, particularly in STEM fields, resulting in a highly disproportionate distribution of female scientists or in fact female enthusiasts, in the country. The All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2018-19 reported that only 3% of women enrol in science PhD programs, and only 6% opt for a PhD in Engineering and Technology. There is a severe lack of role models for young girls to look up to, and encouragement shown by peers and family members, educational institutions, workplaces, governments, and society in general. A New York Times article calls this “combination of subconscious institutional bias with the internal bias against their own abilities that many young female scientists experience” troubling.
Overall, when we look at the Nobel Prizes in subjects like medicine, chemistry, and physics, only 17 women can be counted as having won the prize since 1903, which is when Marie Curie won the Prize. Contrasting this with the 572 men who have won the prize up until 2017 exposes a harsh reality.
Source:https://www.smilefoundationindia.org/blog/why-is-there-a-lack-of-women-in-stem/