India launches Programmes to Promote Gender Balance and Support Women-Owned Enterprises

By: WE Staff | Tuesday, 25 October 2022

India launches a number of programmes to achieve gender parity and support female-owned enterprises.

An initiative to support the efforts of scientifically interested women was recently launched by the Indian Science, Technology and Engineering Facilities Map (I-STEM). On September 6th, it also debuted a platform called WEST (Women in Engineering, Science and Technology).

This platform may encourage female researchers to sign up for the I-STEM, according to Asianlite International. Asian Lite International asserts that the WEST programmes will give women greater chances, which may enable them to become entrepreneurs.

Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology (WEST) was introduced by Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA)  to the Government of India on 5th September 2022, as a new I-STEM (Indian Science Technology and Engineering facilities Map) programme.

Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology (WEST) was introduced on September 5, 2022 by Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India. WEST is a new I-STEM (Indian Science Technology and Engineering facilities Map) initiative. The WEST initiative will support women with STEM backgrounds and give them the tools they need to participate in the ecosystem of science, technology, and innovation. I-STEM is a national web platform for exchanging research resources, and it serves as the hub for numerous initiatives aimed at fostering R&D and technological innovation partnerships between academics and industry, particularly startups.

I-STEM will give scientifically oriented women researchers, scientists, and technologists a different platform through the WEST project to pursue research in fundamental or applied sciences in cutting-edge fields of science and engineering. Women who participate in the WEST programme can explore options to become active participants in numerous industries and to pursue jobs in R&D at various levels, including those of technicians, technologists, scientists, and entrepreneurs. Opportunities include designing and manufacturing scientific apparatus as well as operating and maintaining it.

The WEST initiative's skill development programmes will enable women with S&T backgrounds to brush up on their skills and work "in the field" as lab technicians and maintenance engineers, filling critical gaps in the nation's R&D infrastructure. This effort will also assist women who have taken a professional sabbatical in S&T fields to return.

With this knowledge, women can start their own businesses and work as consultants on the I-STEM platform for the upkeep and operation of complex machinery. This would help close a "skills gap" and make proper use of equipment that was purchased with public money.

The current assistance that I-STEM offers to female entrepreneurs starting S&T businesses will be improved as a result of the WEST initiative. Women in S&T will have strong support networks thanks to the access to R&D facilities and R&D software platforms (COMSOL, MATLAB, LABVIEW, AUTOCAD) made possible through the I-STEM portal.

I-STEM will give female researchers a place to discuss their findings, problems, and strategies for moving the nation forward through innovation, science, and technology. Additionally, through the I-STEM WhatsApp and Telegram platforms, a digital consortium called "Connect Quickly" for online conversation and immediate help has also been developed.

The successful execution of the WEST initiative will be guaranteed by a committed group of women.

In her speech at the launch, Dr. Maini commended I-STEM for its WEST effort and encouraged women in S&T to take use of it. She recommended I-STEM to put measures in place to broaden the engagement of women in WEST and I-STEM and to monitor the effects of the project by getting feedback.