India boasts the world’s highest number of female STEM graduates, with women making up about 40% of these degree holders.
In 2020, a World Bank report highlighted global trends in women’s participation in STEM, revealing higher graduation rates for women compared to men. However, only 14% of these women make it into the workforce.
Women are notably underrepresented in fields such as engineering, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and physics.
According to an HRD ministry report for the academic year 2019-2020, the percentage of girls admitted in core engineering disciplines is as follows- mechanical engineering: 5.9%, civil engineering: 22.5%, metallurgical engineering: 22.7%, chemical engineering: 23.2% and electrical engineering: 27.3%.
These figures highlight the critical need to bridge the gap between education and employment for women in STEM. And with initiatives by Infosys Foundation and TalentSprint, things are slowly changing.
Efforts to Close Gender Gap in Engineering
Sudha Murthy broke barriers as the first woman in India to study mechanical engineering, who then went on to become the chairperson of Infosys Foundation (now former). Today, her legacy of defying societal expectations is echoed in the journey of Ashna Kapoor, a young woman from Amritsar.
Kapoor convinced her family to support her dream of pursuing engineering, a path that led her to a career at Arcesium. She attributes it to the empowerment she gained from a Woman Engineering program.
Kapoor’s story is just one of many that showcase how such programs can challenge and change gender stereotypes.
Take Dharani Devi, for instance. Despite battling a medical condition and lacking a background in computer science, she secured a six-month internship followed by a permanent position at American Express, all thanks to an engineering program that helped her.
In a significant move to further this cause, the Infosys Foundation recently signed an MoU with ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu, a non-profit organisation, to increase the employability of young learners in rural India.
The partnership further aims to establish ‘Centers of Excellence for Women and Youth Empowerment’ in over 450 colleges in India, that will serve as the hubs for skill development and training, both online and offline, as well as enable job placements.
The curriculum includes 80 hours of core skills training, 20 hours of soft skills development, and placement facilitation for certified students.
The centres will also host youth empowerment summits and coding practice sessions to tackle real-world problems, ensuring that participants are well-equipped for the challenges of the tech industry.
TalentSprint Walks the Same Path
Similarly, TalentSprint, an Indian edtech company, is creating an ecosystem of women in tech talent through its Women in Software Engineering (WISE) and the Women Engineers program (WE).
Supported by Google, the WE program aims to enable enterprising and aspiring women engineering students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds to aspire and achieve high-growth tech careers.
Rohit Agarwal, chief delivery officer, TalentSprint, mentioned, “This commitment to inclusivity is evident in the program’s makeup: 39% of participants come from low-income families, 32% are first-generation graduates, and 25% hail from rural and semi-urban areas.”
“By offering targeted support, resources, and opportunities, WE foster a more inclusive and supportive ecosystem for women in Indian tech.”
So far, the program has received over 1,30,000 applicants from 11,000+ pin codes and 100+ tier 2 colleges in the last 6 cohorts and substantially created an impact across India.
Through financial assistance, including 100% scholarship and additional cash support, the program empowers aspiring women engineers to pursue and excel in their academic and professional endeavours.
Selected participants not only receive financial support but also gain access to various resources. This includes mentorship by Google engineers, specialised boot camps, networking events, and avenues for potential career opportunities.
