STEM and the glass ceiling: take what is yours

The dearth of women in STEM fields has been the subject of much debate for decades. Gender biases and discrimination, stereotypes, the lack of role models, and inadequate support, have been among the key reasons for this. Consequently, the tech industry has traditionally been male dominated for years.

Over the last decade, this has been changing – to a point. The number of women in STEM has significantly increased. However, data from the National Science Foundation shows that while 52% of women enrolled for STEM courses for their graduation, only 29% of them joined the STEM workforce.

In India, women make up nearly 43% of the total STEM graduates—one of the highest in the world. But they comprise only 14% of scientists, engineers, and technologists in research development institutions and universities, according to World Bank data. At the C-suite, only 3% of women hold the post of CEOs.