Women in STEM and India’s Skills Revolution: Beyond Numbers and Narratives

✍️ By Suryavanshi IAS | 🗓️ 15 July 2025 – World Youth Skills Day

🌐 Context:

Despite India producing the highest percentage of female STEM graduates among major economies (43%), their workforce participation in STEM remains at just 27%. This paradox reveals deeper structural, social, and industrial barriers that need urgent attention.

🎯 Key Highlights from the Article:

Indicator	Data/Insight
% of women STEM graduates (India)	43% (Highest among major economies)
% of women in STEM workforce (India)	27%
Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR)	41.7% overall, but 25.4% in urban areas (PLFS 2023–24)
GDP boost if 68 million more women employed	$700 billion by 2025 (McKinsey Global Institute)
GDP growth from 50% female participation	+1% GDP (World Bank)

📚 Relevant Government Initiatives:

Policy/Scheme	Focus Area
National Education Policy (NEP) 2020	Integration of STEM with skill development
Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao	Promoting girl child education
Skill India Mission	Vocational and technical training for youth
PM Vishwakarma Yojana	Skill recognition for traditional artisans
Digital India Programme	Technology access & digital literacy
Gender Budget (2025–26)	₹4.49 lakh crore (8.8% of Union Budget)
UN Women’s WeSTEM Programme	State-level skilling & mindset reform for STEM

🧠 Challenges for Women in STEM:

Stereotypes: “Mechanical means masculine”, “Coding isn’t for girls”
Workplace barriers: Lack of safety, gender pay gap, inflexible policies
Cultural constraints: Family pressures, caregiving responsibilities
Pipeline leakage: Women drop out despite having skills

🏢 Industry’s Role: The Missing Link

The private sector must:

Create structured internships & apprenticeships
Facilitate career re-entry post-maternity
Promote mentorship & industry-academia linkages
Ensure workplace safety & inclusive hiring policies

🟢 WeSTEM by UN Women is a strong model:

Focuses on community mindset shifts, access to role models, workplace safety, and family engagement.

🧾 UPSC Syllabus Mapping:

GS Paper I – Indian Society

Role of women and women’s organizations
Social empowerment and gender justice

GS Paper II – Governance, Social Justice

Government policies and interventions
Role of NGOs and civil society
Issues relating to development and management of human resources

GS Paper III – Economic Development

Inclusive growth and employment
Skill development and demographic dividend

📝 UPSC Mains Practice Question:

🔸 GS II:

Q. Despite increasing enrolment in STEM education, female workforce participation in the STEM sector remains low. Examine the factors responsible and suggest reforms involving government and industry.
(250 words)

❓ UPSC Prelims Practice Questions:

Q1. With reference to India’s female labour force participation, consider the following statements:

India has the highest percentage of female STEM graduates among G20 nations.
The urban female labour force participation is higher than rural participation.
The FLFPR in 2023–24 was above 50%.

Which of the statements is/are correct?
A) 1 only ✅
B) 1 and 2 only
C) 2 and 3 only
D) All of the above

📝 Explanation: Statement 2 is false — rural FLFPR (47.6%) is higher than urban (25.4%). Statement 3 is also false — overall FLFPR is 41.7%.

Q2. The term “WeSTEM” recently seen in the news relates to:

A) A government portal for women in mining
B) A public-private initiative to skill women in STEM fields ✅
C) A United Nations programme on water sanitation
D) A scheme to empower transgender scientists

📝 Explanation: WeSTEM is a UN Women-led skilling initiative, implemented with state governments and private foundations to support women in STEM.

🔖 Keywords for Notes:

STEM Paradox in India
NEP 2020 and Women’s Skills
WeSTEM Programme
FLFPR India 2023–24
Gender Budget 2025–26
Skill India and Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs)
Social Stereotypes and Skilling Gap
Private Sector in Skill Ecosystem

✅ Conclusion by Suryavanshi IAS:

The road to a Viksit Bharat cannot be built on a half-utilised workforce. The investment in STEM skills for women is not just a gender issue — it is an economic imperative. India has the talent, the intent, and the policy — what we now need is industry-led enablement.

🧬 Empowered girls in labs today will be India’s innovators tomorrow.

Suryavanshi IAS

Monday, July 14, 2025