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| Experts highlight the need to address challenges faced by women to increase their participation in S&T |
New Delhi (Lisbon Times):- The Experts highlighted
the need to address the challenges faced by women to increase their
participation in science and technology at the India-Japan joint
celebration of International Women’s Day.
“Gender
inequality is an international issue and needs to be voiced in the larger
multilateral and plurilateral platforms. The UN theme of this International
Women's day-- 'Women in Leadership' needs to be understood both in its context
and content,” said Shri Sanjay Kumar Verma, Ambassador of India to Japan at the
program co-organized by KIRAN Division, DST, Embassy of India, Tokyo, Govt.
of India, Japan Science & Technology Agency, Govt of Japan.
Comparing gender
inequality to a bicycle that cannot run on only one wheel, Secretary
Department of Science and Technology (DST) Professor Ashutosh Sharma said that the participation of both women and men is necessary for the development and progress of the country and society. In India, there are
various challenges for women, which are cultural, and DST has tried to address
these problems through various programs. Our focus is on creating
next-generation role models for women and encouraging women's leadership in
science, technology, and innovation. We have launched Gender Advancement for
Transforming Institutions (GATI), which would help make a systemic change at an institutional level. We want to create an environment where academia, industry,
and R&D labs provide confidence and opportunity to women, encourage women
in innovation, startups and help them explore their full potential”, he added.
Director-General, Gender
Equality Bureau, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan Tomoko Hayashi, pointed
out that COVID-19 had a major impact on women in Japan, especially the poor.
There has been increasing in the number of households of single parents, increased
depression, domestic violence, sexual violence. Japan's Government has decided to
tackle these and has taken various steps to prevent women from suffering
because of their gender.
Outlining the new
programs started to promote gender equality President, Japan Science &
Technology Agency, Government of Japan Dr. Michinari Hamaguchi, said that
gender acceleration has already started and will be further accelerated in
future. “We need to encourage women researchers. We have started an award for
brilliant women researchers and have succeeded in finding new women talent in
Japan,” Dr. Michinari Hamaguchi added.
Director, Strategic
Programs Division (Research and System Reform), Science and Technology Policy
Bureau, MEXT, Government of Japan, Sano Takiko spoke about changes that have been
brought about through the years
Dr. Sanjay Mishra,
Head & Adviser, Kiran & INSPIRE, DST, Government of India, highlighted
programs launched by DST to tackle the problem of under-representation of
women in STEM. “The efforts of Government of India and all ministries have
brought women’s participation in education sector close to the ideal situation.
However, if we break the data, we find that women are under-represented in
various fields within STEM.
DST has started specific programs that are able to tackle the problems at their root. A booklet of 100 success stories of women achievers of the WOS-C Programme of DST were released at the women’s day celebration moderated by TIFAC, an autonomous body under DST.
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