To commemorate International Women’s Day, the Junior Science Club (JSC) of the College for Integrated Studies organized a thought-provoking panel discussion titled ‘Women in STEM’ on March 7, 2025. The event, held at the Auditorium of the School of Life Sciences, brought together six esteemed faculty members from various departments to share their experiences and insights on gender gaps in STEM, workplace inequalities, and leadership roles in academia.
Six esteemed faculty from around the campus graced the stage that day – Prof. B.S. Padmavathi (Mathematics), Prof. Lalitha Guruprasad (Chemistry), Prof. G. Padmaja (Health Psychology), Dr. Bhawna Gomber (CASEST, Physics), Prof. V.V.S.S. Srikanth (Engineering), and Dr. Moumita Saharay (Life Sciences).
“Change must begin before students come to the university – it should start at home,” remarked Prof. Lalitha Guruprasad, very succinctly putting forward the first solution to the gender disparity seen at a professional workplace.
As the discussion progressed, the momentum and the participation of the audience increased. Prof. G Padmaja introduced the concepts of ‘Glass Ceiling’ and ‘Glass Cliff’ concepts, highlighting the systemic challenges women face in their professional growth, and ended with a crescendo with the audience showcasing their support with their loud applause that echoed in the Hall.
Prof. BS Padmavathi spoke much about initiatives that the University and the Government have taken (eg: Indian Women in Mathematics), but also about the lack of awareness of these measures.
One very heartening moment, was when Prof. Srikanth provided an optimistic outlook using statistics that showed a steady rise in women’s participation in STEM. While the number of female students in engineering and the ‘masculine’ sciences was lesser, they were increasing at a steady rate, and perhaps might even beat the number of male students in a class in the foreseeable future.
Dr. Moumita Saharay shared a heartfelt account of the support she received from the men in her life in her academic journey. Issues such as child care facilities in UoH, and lack of extra time to discuss their research ideas with their male colleagues in an informal setting was also discussed. The conversation also tackled critical issues such as institutional loopholes and the lack of gender-awareness programs within university systems.
The discussion, moderated by Dr. Bhawna Gomber, explored critical issues such as institutional loopholes, lack of gender-awareness programs, and child care facilities. The panelists also shared personal anecdotes and highlighted initiatives taken by the University and Government to promote women in STEM.
The evening saw enthusiastic participation from over a hundred students, who engaged in a lively discussion with the panelists. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Bhawna Gomber.
The JSC reaffirms its commitment to promoting women in STEM, reminding everyone that every girl who dreams of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics has a place in these fields.