How corporates support young women in STEM

How corporates support young women in STEM

Several companies are providing financial aid to encourage girls to study science and make a career in scientific sectors but we need more

c-Sheetal.Banchariya@timesgroup.com

25.01.2021 

As per a UN report, India tops the world in producing female graduates in STEM but ranks 19th in employing them. Another report by the UN suggests that while 40% of Indians who graduate in STEM disciplines are women, only 14% of the total 28,000 scientists and engineers in research and development institutions are women. To bridge the gender gap in the industries, there needs to be a focus on increasing women in STEM from the start of their careers. Buddy4Study, a portal for scholarships, reveals as many as 25 scholarships for girls funded by major corporates. Several companies have special internship programmes to give them a solid platform, but the CSR initiatives need to have more focus on girls from EWS.

L’Oreal’s ‘For Young Women in Science’ scholarship is awarded to 50 women worth 2.5 lakh each to bright and deserving young women from all over India.

“At a micro level (household level), while the lower-middle-income group aspires to educate their daughter in market-relevant new-age courses, their limited financial resources make it mostly unaffordable. Besides, if girls want to pursue graduation in science, the expenses further increase,” says Snehhal Chitneni, director, Communications, CSR, Public Affairs & Ethics, L’Oreal. “These women then become role models to many others around them and motivate young girls and their families to break social barriers or perceived notions of associating STEM fields with gender,” adds Chitneni.

Besides, the most critical step is to change the mindset of society and have educational institutions that encourage the girls to opt for STEM education. Launched in 2014, Mastercard’s signature STEM education program Girls4Tech™ focusses on inspiring young girls to pursue STEM careers through a fun, and engaging curriculum incorporating deep expertise in payments technology and innovation, as well as encryption, fraud detection, data analysis and digital convergence.