These women worked as mathematicians, chemists and physicists on the project that ultimately led to the development of the atomic bomb. But did you hear their names? Probably not.
Leona Woods is the only female physicist working on Enrico Fermi’s team. Katharine Way was an expert in radioactive decay who worked at multiple Manhattan Project sites.
Melba Phillips co-developed the Oppenheimer-Phillips Effect and later became an outspoken critic of atomic weapons. Then there were the ‘Calutron Girls,’ who operated the machines that separated uranium isotopes.
India also has a rich history of women breaking barriers in science. Anandibai Joshi, India’s first female physician, obtained her medical degree in 1886. Asima Chatterjee was the first woman to receive a Doctorate of Science from an Indian university in 1944.
In recent years, there have been many others. Tessy Thomas, known as the ‘Missile Woman of India,’ led the development of the Agni-V long-range missile. Gagandeep Kang, the first Indian woman elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society, and Ritu Karidhal, the mission director of India’s Mars Orbiter Mission, are other noteworthy achievers.
A little inspiration does go a long way. Studies show that girls who see women scientists in the media are 50% more likely to consider STEM careers (in science, technology, engineering or math). Yet, only 11% of STEM characters in Indian movies and TV shows are women.
The success of Mission Mangal, a film about India’s Mars Orbiter Mission with women in prominent scientists’ roles, demonstrated the impact of such representation. Not only did the film perform well at the box office, it also inspired discussions about women in STEM.
People learnt that 30% of scientists and engineers at ISRO are women. Remember ‘Hidden Figures’ and the US space programme?
What does economics say? Studies suggest that advancing women’s equality could add trillions of dollars to global GDP—more than a quarter of the world’s output, by one estimate. But wait, there is more.
Companies with gender-diverse teams are 21% more likely to experience above-average profitability. It’s almost as if diverse perspectives lead to better decision-making.
Having more women in STEM leads to better science, too. Gender-diverse research teams produce 34% more publications. As it turns out, you get more innovative ideas by including people with different life experiences.
Women’s perspectives are invaluable in product design. After all, who better to design products for women than women? In some circles, this is a revolutionary insight. Hey, it might even lead to phones that fit in women’s pockets!
A study published in 2013 in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that women had a 29% higher risk of their hip implants failing within three years of hip-replacement surgeries. Another study from 2019 found that, within 90 days of implantation, women were twice as likely to experience complications from implanted cardiac devices like pacemakers.
In both cases, the device-maker’s failures to recognise physical differences, particularly in size, between male and female bodies were to blame. Clearly, it took some time for the industry to recognize that men’s and women’s bodies are different.
Thankfully, Bob Dylan prophetically sang, “The times, they are a-changin’.” And nowhere is this change more evident than in STEM.
Change is coming slowly with initiatives like the Vigyan Jyoti Scheme, a government initiative promoting higher education among women in science and engineering, which has benefited over 30,000 female students from 100 districts.
The creation of supernumerary seats in the IITs has increased female enrolment from 8% in 2018-19 to 20% in 2020-21. Another initiative is Pragati Scholarships, where AICTE awards around 10,000 scholarships annually to women pursuing technical education, encouraging them to enter technical fields.
Biotech, cybersecurity, quantum computing, data sciences—you name it, and the sector has seen more women entering. But what about tech and business?
Women-led startups in India received 5% of total Indian startup funding, mirroring a global trend where women founders struggle to secure venture capital, with those in Europe and the US receiving a mere 2% of total VC funding. But don’t we all love an underdog story?
What is more exciting is that 18% of Indian startups have at least one woman founder; Geetha Manjunath of Niramai and Prukalpa Sankar of Atlan are great examples. My good friends, Tanuja and Dharini of Furtados School of Music, are bringing tech to music teaching.
To all the naysayers who thought women couldn’t hack it in tech (pun absolutely intended), these ladies are proving otherwise and making it look easy.
And finally, if you are a female scientist, your chances of winning the Nobel Prize have improved in recent years. Only 11 Nobel prizes were awarded to women in the 20th century. Since 2000, women have won another 15 prizes—which is 15 breakthroughs we would not have without women in STEM.
It is time to embrace the idea that women in STEM are not just good for women; they’re great for everyone.
The author is a technology advisor and podcast host.
