To Get More Women In STEM, Catch Then Young

By: Rachita Sharma, special Editor | Monday, 9 May 2022

Samaira Mehta was just 10 years old when she developed CodderBunnyz, an AI driven board game for children to learn coding. The young CEO was a mere six years old when she began learning how to code. The wonder kid not only built a company that generated a revenue amounting to over $100,000 over the years but has also conducted workshops and talk shows.

Samaira's success as one of the youngest tech stars in the world is truly commendable and tells a story of talent and drive. Let's take a step back and imagine how different things would have been if she had not received the resources, guidance and encouragement from her immediate surroundings.

While Samaira's talent and skill level would have remained the same, yet her story might have been entirely different. Unfortunately, this is the reality for millions of girls in India. Lack of support and resources often results in most women not thinking of STEM as a viable career path.

A research by Cornell University discovered that gender differences in high school students' long term occupational plans. It has a massive impact on gender equality in STEM outcomes in college. To ensure a gender balanced tech workforce, the groundwork must begin early on in school. That being said, we must also acknowledge that women's participation in the Indian IT industry has been on the rise over the past decade.

According to a 2020 NASSCOM report "India's Tech Industry: Women For TheTechade" concluded that women constitute 35 percent of India's technology industry. Young girls also comprise30 percent of engineering students in India, which is the highest percentage in the world saidAll India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE).Women have been driving this change through their grit, hard-work and perseverance.

However, we still have a long way to go in terms of building a tech workforce that is gender balanced. For starters, issues such as gender-bias at work, pay parity, women's safety and more women in leadership positions should be tackled with urgency.

Another key factor that can positively impact women's representation in the tech workforce is the presence of role models to look up to. We are happy to report that the Indian tech world has some amazing women leaders who fit the bill.

Armed with technical prowess, business acumen and a determination that could move mountains, these women are ushering in a new and more gender balanced era in the India tech space. Just like these superwoman, we urge you too to play your part in empowering more girls to take up technology and create an inclsive future for all.