Procter and Gamble India (P&G India) and Centre For Civil Society flagged
off a first-of-its-kind ‘Women In STEM Caravan’  – a multi-city roadshow that brought together key stakeholders to advance
women’s participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
(STEM) trades. The roadshow, officially recognized as a part
of the G20 events, commenced in New Delhi on International Day for Women and Girls in Science, with a high-powered ‘Women in STEM: Policy,
Practice & Interventions’ roundtable conference focused on policy provisions,
ground realities, role of corporates and direct interventions for advancing women’s
representation in STEM opportunities.

The conference brought together over 20 eminent
professionals, including policymakers, practitioners, academicians, and investors
to discuss ways in which women representation in STEM can be strengthened
through the right interventions, necessary policy reforms and implementation of
best practices. The dignitaries present at the conference included representatives
from P&G India, Centre For Civil Society, Department of Science and
Technology, Ministry of Education, Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor
to the Government of India, and Niti Aayog. The discussion revolved around key
thematic areas including enabling women’s entry into STEM careers through
policy measures, voices from the ground reporting on current realities of women
in STEM across sectors and civil society, government
and business interventions that can facilitate women’s entry and retention into
STEM careers over the next 5 years.

During the conference, P&G India and Centre For
Civil Society also recognized and awarded P&G Shiksha Betiyan
Scholarships to girls pursuing courses at Industrial Training Institute in Nalagarh,
Himachal Pradesh. In its next stage, the caravan will now travel to Himachal
Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra where it will award more scholarships under
the P&G Shiksha Betiyan Scholarship Program to girls pursuing varied
courses for higher education in STEM fields.

Speaking on the occasion, LV
Vaidyanathan, MD & CEO, P&G India said, “At P&G, we believe in helping create a
world where equality and inclusion are achievable for all, inside and outside
of P&G. Data indicates that in India, female representation in STEM
workforce is limited to 14%.  Women
continue to also be underrepresented in STEM curriculum, leading to
underrepresentation in manufacturing, engineering, and technology roles. The
reasons often lie in deep-rooted stereotypes and biases that hold back women
from pursuing and advancing in STEM careers. We launched P&G Shiksha
Betiyan Scholarship Program last year with the aim to break such barriers for
girls who aspire to pursue careers in STEM, in partnership with Centre for
Civil society. This year, as we expand our scholarship program to impact more
girls, we are happy to come together for meaningful dialogue at ‘Women In STEM
Caravan’ to deliberate acceleration of progress, as well as inspire more girls
to pursue STEM education.”

Laxmi Sampath Goyal, Chief Executive
Officer, Centre For Civil Society said, “The need for women’s representation in
STEM fields cannot be overstated. With technological advancements playing a
critical role in a nation’s development, women’s participation fosters a
diversity in perspectives that stimulates originality, innovation, and
efficiency. Given the scope for professional growth and achievement in the
fields, it is imperative for us to support women in occupying these lucrative
positions and empower them in the process.”

P&G
India in partnership with Centre For Civil Society has been working to enable
STEM careers for girls with the ‘P&G Shiksha Betiyan Scholarship’ program,
as part of its flagship CSR initiative P&G Shiksha, where it is providing financial
aid and mentorship to girls aspiring to pursue STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics) education. The program has so far supported hundreds of
women with the aim of breaking barriers and enabling entry of skilled women
professionals into manufacturing, technology, engineering, and other STEM
related jobs.

Further, the
Company’s skin care brand Olay is working to shrink the gender gap in STEM
careers with its ‘STEM The Gap’ initiative, by spotlighting the biases and
stereotypes that hold back progress and enabling young girls to get interested
and excited by STEM subjects. P&G India also has a long-standing
partnership with NITIE and hosts the annual ‘P&G-NITIE Equality Summit’ to
spark conversations on issues that perpetuate a glass ceiling for women,
uncover deep-rooted stereotypes that still exist, and motivate change
specifically linked to equal representation of women STEM and Supply Chain.