International Day of Women and Girls in Science is an annual day to recognise full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls, and to further achieve gender equality and empowerment in this space. This is declared by the United Nations General Assembly, and is a global celebration that falls on 11th February. This year marks the 8th year for the International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assembly, and the aim is to bridge between the International Community and women in science through linking their knowledge and expertise and its applications in a systematic, critical way for the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development, with focus on science and gender equality. The day will recognise the role of women and girls in science as beneficiaries and change agents in view of accelerating progress towards the achievement of key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Science and gender equality are both vital for the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Over the past decades, considerable efforts have been made in inspiring and engaging women and girls in science. However, there still exists a significant gap at all levels of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The Indian research and development workforce is made of only 15 per cent of women, as compared to the global average of 30 per cent, according to the National Task Force on women in science report, 2019. This data highlights the under-representation and disparity of women in STEM because when it comes to enrolment– there is a growth of almost 54,000 in the number of women in STEM and a decline of about 59,000 in the number of men enrolled in STEM studies between 2017-18 and 2019-20, as per All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) report, which compiles enrolment in undergraduate, Masters, and PhD-level programmes. This reflects that women are choosing STEM courses, but are not pursuing careers in it. This divergence in professional choices may be a result of deep-rooted social stigma, discrimination, biases, social norms, and expectations that influence the quality of education they receive and the subjects they study. 

Tech Mahindra Foundation (TMF), the CSR arm of Tech Mahindra Limited, resonates with this understanding. The Foundation is committed to creating a cadre of skilled workforce by empowering the youth in knowledge, skills, and attitude domains aiming for enhanced employability. The Foundation also works on a mandate of ensuring 50% of its beneficiaries are women so to ensure gender equality and empowerment. Through SMART Skills for Market Training), its flagship programme in Employability, the Foundation has trained 1,35,455 youth since 2012-12 and progressively expanded to provide skill development training to youth across 11 different cities in India. The Foundation has been implementing the SMART program by establishing a network of Centres and Academies – both directly and through other partner implementing agencies.