Women in Science and Technology:

Recently it was announced in the dailies how a lady, Jessica Cox aged 25 in the USA, has obtained air-plane pilot’s license. A woman getting pilot’s license, given the positions of women in corporate world and in politics today may not be surprising but this lady does not have both her hands from birth – She could take off and land safely the air-craft using her legs. She has black-belt in karate. She could fix the contact-lens, send SMS, play the piano, work on the computers etc – All using her legs.  A couple of days ago you might have read in the papers how a five year old Varsha of Kerala has already got black-belt in Karate! Such is the ingenuity of women.

Only from 1901 it was decided to consider women for the Nobel Prize: We have heard about scientists such as Madam Curie who was awarded Nobel Prize twice. So far at least 10 ladies have been awarded Nobel Prizes in the fields of science and technology. And we have many women inventors such as weaving machines, submarine telescope, pyrotechnic flame for marine night-time signals, code to transport top-secret etc. Even today we have women of Indian origin as Chief-executives of City Bank and Pepsi Cola on the world level. Of course, we have  women as Heads of States, apart from a few Queens, in about 20 countries (Ireland, Finland, The Philippines, Mozambique, Canada, Germany, Liberia, Iceland, Chile, Croatia, Lithuania, India, Argentina, Switzerland, Antigua and Barbuda, Bosnia, Ukraine, Australia, Bangladesh etc) both of poor as well as rich countries such as Bangladesh and Germany. Recently we read in the papers that Indian Military, especially air-wing, is getting ready to induct women as combat air-craft pilots which needs speed and quick decision-making and precise maneuvering. Women have been all along intelligent and capable and have their proved their merit. Kalpana Chawla and Sunitha Williams could soar into space – For them even the sky was not the limit! Women could keep a delicate balance between mind and heart and they are good at multitasking.

Compared to other countries, especially the industrialized countries, women emancipation as well as empowerment in India is marginal. This may be due to gender-bias – And those who excel seem to be those who are not bogged down by the tradition-bound cultural as well as religious suppression or subjugation. To certain extent, they seem to be either spinsters or single-parents who have the independence to decide for themselves.

Culturally speaking, in the beginning the society was matriarchal – Indus Civilization as well as ancient Egyptian, Babylonian etc civilizations are proof of that. Later when the military invasion started men began to assume power both at home-front as well as national-front. But even today if you look at the hard reality, I mean the rural areas, women are the bread-winners and they are the heads of families. In addition to any discrimination that men-folk suffer, women have to suffer from an additional discrimination, ie. gender bias. You may hold high positions in the corporate world but at home you have to sing the house-hold chorus – all by yourself. In India, by and large, the decision-making rests still largely with men. There is need for a change of attitude.

What could be the reasons for women, in spite of gender discrimination leading to lack of education, lack of freedom to pursue careers, lack of freedom to express their feelings and opinions freely, to do so well in all walks of life? If given a chance they would do their best – Often better than men. They have their hardships but they could have the singularity of mind. A recent survey in London among the working women indicate that at least 40% of them are under stress – The main cause is their worry to get their children ready to go to school – This is called 8:25-am-syndrome. This continues even when they reach their office but they are able to concentrate on their work. To live through, in spite of all odds, is their secret of greatness. Women have focus in life as well as determination to realize the goal and the courage to face the challenges.

I think, I stand correction, the basic reason is mother-instinct: to protect as well as to achieve.

1. That is what gives women resilience amidst opposition/obstacles. Once a woman has determined to do something, she would keep up her spirit and nothing could diminish her fervor – She becomes a go-getter.
2. As a mother, her commitment to her children is infinite – And this is carried over to the work-place: whether research or administration. That is why women are normally duty-conscious and they are more efficient and accountable.

• Again, another aspect of motherhood, is, namely a spirit of accommodation. She has to dance to the tune of so many in the family: When young, to the strictness of the parents; when married, to the push-pull from the husband, in-laws, children; and then in work-place, to the demands of the profession. But she manages to see through.

1. And this gives her patience along the road to excellence. That was the reason earlier for the preference of women as telephone operators and even today as medical nurses. Women are preferred for teaching in Kindergarten as well as in Primary Schools. Men could easily give-up but women would not easily give up once they have taken a road of pursuance.
2. Gut-level feeling or instinct gives them a sense of direction as well as clarity of mission.
3. They have the necessary mindset to be prepared for the worst which gives them the courage and hope to thrive even amidst challenges and obstacles.

Though at time people may criticize that a woman can be nice to mean people and mean to nice people, women are known for infinite love and care as well as for amazing endurance and they are better organized and systematic in their day-to-day life.

The statistics on women is very revealing and surprising: According to the National Science Foundation in the USA, women account for 46 percent of the labor force, but they hold only 22 percent of the science jobs, including social sciences and teaching. Women play minor roles in many high-tech occupations. For instance, women make up only 5 percent of computer programmers, 10 percent of system analysts and 10 percent of electronics technicians. Additionally, women lead only 5 to 6 percent of major high-tech companies in Silicon Valley. The number of women pursuing science and technology-related careers is decreasing. In 1984, women earned 37 percent of bachelor’s degrees in computer science, but by 1995, this number had fallen to 28.4 percent according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Today we have the panel discussion on: Women in Science and Technology. The advancements in Science and Technology in the last 20 years are more than the developments in the last 20 centuries. Here we have the experts to share with us how women experts kept going and how they made positive contribution and what are the challenges they have to face.

The panelists are experts each in her own way: we have Dr Mary Mohankumar, scientist at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam – She has been associated with specific research in Chemistry. We have here with us Dr Kalaiselvi from Centre for Electro-Chemical Research Institute (CECRI), Karaikudi which is one of the leading research centres in India. We have Dr Merline Shyla, young and energetic scientist from Loyola Institute of Frontier Energy (LIFE) and Physics Department at Loyola College, Chennai. Her design of solar-cell, using dye-sensitizers, has been very much acclaimed.

I welcome them all on your behalf and I am sure that we would have an enlightened session. Each panelist would have 10 minutes for sharing. Kindly reserve your questions for the end.

Dr Francis P Xavier SJ

Loyola College, Chennai

Email: francisx@vsnl.com

(2245050210)