Gender Equity in Physics in India: Interventions, Outcomes, and Roadmap

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent interventions and initiatives in India aimed at addressing gender disparities in physics, highlighting progress, ongoing challenges, and a strategic roadmap for achieving gender equity in the field.

Contribution

It documents specific actions, policies, and reforms undertaken by various groups and the government to promote gender equity in physics in India, providing a comprehensive overview of recent efforts.

Findings

Significant gender reforms in Indian physics organizations

First national conference on gender issues held in 2019

New government initiatives for gender equity implemented

Abstract

The gender imbalance in physics higher education and advanced professions is a global problem, and India is not an exception. Although the issue has been acknowledged widely, discrimination needs to be recognized as the driving force. The past three years have witnessed initiatives by different gender groups as well as the Government of India in addressing these lacunae. We report various activities, describe interventions, and present statistics indicating improvements achieved. The Gender in Physics Working Group has brought about significant gender reforms in the Indian Physics Association. The working group organized an open discussion on the issue of sexual harassment in physics professions for the first time in 2018. Subsequently, in 2019, GIPWG organized the first-ever national conference on gender issues, Pressing for Progress. The deliberations of the conference culminated in the Hyderabad Charter, a roadmap towards gender equity in India. The Working Group for Gender Equity constituted under the Astronomical Society of India, also played an impactful role. At the government level, notable new initiatives include Gender Advancement through Transforming Institutions and the proposed Science and Technology Innovation Policy for mainstreaming equity and inclusion.