Sunday, March 11, 2018
Opportunities and Challenges for women in IT & Engineering
Indian
Economic growth is at high acceleration and IT plays a pivotal role in the
same. A major contribution has come
from women who stepped out and chosen professional degrees. Now we have strong women workforce in the
portals of engineering, contributing to the growth with their perceptions and
styles.
Women in
professional course and careers is highest in the world.
Still lot of
challenges faced by women in engineering and IT..
We are here
today to discuss the challenges, opportunities and policy shifts that are
necessary to enable women to grow and reach great heights in their career, and
to play a bigger role in the growth of the nation
1.
Southeast
Asia and India are biggest economic engines in the world today
2.
Vibrant,
creative and diverse engineering and
scientific workforce
3.
Demand
for engineering is at 36%
Challenges
Investment
in Education for women has to be improved
Technical
education is not very attractive to women
Engineering
courses seem to be devoid of social relevance
While
working in a cool AC room in IT sector is acceptable for women, most people
would raise an eyebrow, if a woman were
to roll up her shirt sleeve and work on a machine or slide under a lorry to
repair
Bias in the
minds of institutions on women heading the technical institutions
Need to
restructure the engineering culture and pedagogy need to be examined and
propagated so that in this millennium we prepare women students for leadership
in engineering domains, tap their innate qualities and channelize it to benefit
society through innovation and enable a more diversified workforce
Challenges of Women Professionals
1 Education and a career is a right to woman however there are certain challenges
2 Balancing work with family responsibilities
a. Marriage after graduation
b. Break to raise kids and have family
c. Responsibility to elderly parents
d. Struggle to go for higher education
3 Managing dual career families
a. Struggle for equal recognition of a woman’s career
b. Economic demands of the modern society with high inflation rates
4 Lack of guidance and mentorship
a. Few models to emulate and few to get advice from
i.
Strict male teachers are respected
and strict women teachers are disliked by students as per a survey
ii.
Disconnect between women faculty and
top management dominated by men
5 Not being taken seriously
a. Need to go farther, accomplish more and work harder
b. Questioning capabilities and ability to work at par with men
6 Discrimination and/or harassment
a. Women’s approaches not recognized often
b. Increasing sexual harassment at workplace
c. Fearing ridicule and disbelief women struggle and quit
d. Ridiculed when there is need to take maternity leave which is viewed as a
loss to the organization
e. Resolution by having a women in the panel of recruitment , atleast one
7 Laboratory climate impact upon the careers of women scientist
a. Need for long research hours
b. Demanding family obligations
8 Hypocritical view points
a. Role of women in Nation Building
b. Career oriented woman is seen as failing on the personal front
c. Less options to make better career choices
d. Paradigm shift is necessary to bring about an attitudinal change
Achievements and Recognitions of
Indian Women and Opportunities
1. Strong ability to secure a right career choice
2. Do research and innovation to attract research grants
3. Gain visibility and recognition by the peers
4. Contribute towards Policy Making
5. Take opportunities to speak at conferences, travel fellowships and
seminars
6. Voice out your opinions without hurting others
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION
1. Flexible Hours
a. Don’t quit your career- take up
part time jobs or flexi hours and work from home options
2. Your performance should give you the strength to command the change you
need
3. Shop Floor and Field Jobs
a. Should not be debarred from physical jobs
b. Fitness goals help you build a right physical stamina
c. Merits should speak louder than the gender limitations
4. Equal Opportunities
a. No gender bias in the process of selection or promotion
b. Diversity Initiatives and women
specific recruitments
c. No job is denied just because the candidate is a woman
5. Accommodation
a. Safety goals
b. Large communities and working women’s hostel provide viable solutons
c. Safe and suitable accommodation near the workplace
6. Child care facilities and creches
a. Improving professional child care facilities
b. Stop suffering from guilt if you focus on the career
c. Rearing of children is the concern of both the parents
d. Sharing responsibility should not be at the cost of the career
7. What we should do to make Organizations recognize women as a strong
workforce
a. Promote and Publish your strength and success story
b. Believe in your capabilities to raise above the situations
c. Women can bring in a balance to the workplace and increase the
performance
d. Dare to travel far and wide in search of opportunities and don’t restrict
yourself to the comfort zone
e. Make sacrifices as and when can, but don’t compromise on your dreams
f. Aspire for leadership and better roles and take the calculated risk
g. Women have an equal right to make a choice in their lives and strike a
balance
h. Make an impact - Look at our women
scientists in ISRO
i. Nature has entrusted women with certain responsibilities like child
bearing and rearing and don’t ignore that .
That should not be an hindrance for the woman to have aspirations and
ambitions
j. Need for policy changes and little support from the people around
k. Women with their patience, forbearance and inherent managerial
capabilities can contribute immensely to any organization
l. Improve your strong multi-tasking capabilities but do one thing at a
time, for its worth a dime
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