By Rysha Sultania
Nehru once said, “If you educate a man, you educate an individual however if
you educate a woman, you educate a whole family.”
Today and throughout history this quote seems to have held true. Despite the many challenges
faced by women in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, they
seem to have pushed through and bubbled on top as leading contributors in these areas.
This year, 11 February marked the fifth UN International Day of Women and Girls in
Science. This is a great initiative that aims to both recognize the role of women in science
and technology and to promote their greater participation around the globe.
Historically there has obviously been immense difficulties women have had to face in order to
reach even an inch close to where they are currently. There have been several remarkable
developments in the fields that have been under the helm of a woman, or a team of empowered
ladies. The only sad part is that they are often unsung heroes.
I would like to dedicate this article of mine to the women from my homeland India, recognizing
fully well their contributions and of those similar to them from time immemorial up till today, from
the four corners of the world.
I would like to start with Anandibai Joshi (1865-1887)
Studying medicine (1885, University of Philadelphia), Anandibai Joshi, was the first Hindu woman to
obtain a medical degree in the Western hemisphere. She was the first lady to complete medical
education in the USA.She returned to India thence and used her knowledge to advocate the setting
up of schools for girls. Unfortunately, She died in Poona at an early age of 22.(1)
Asima Chatterjee (1917-2006)
Her achievements include- First woman D.Sc. (1944, Calcutta), FASc, FNA, Khaira Professor of
Chemistry, Calcutta University. Recipient of the Padma Bhushan. The numerous awards she won
include S S Bhatnagar award, C V Raman award of the UGC, P C Ray award, Sisir K Mitra
Lectureship and Dr G P Chatterjee Lectureship. Furthermore, she was the first lady president of the
Indian Science Congress, and a member of Rajya Sabha. Her area of interest was natural products
with special reference to the medicinal chemistry. (2)
Kalpana Chawla (July 1, 1961 – February 1, 2003)
She was an American astronaut, engineer, and the first woman of Indian origin to go to
space. [2][3] She first flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mission specialist and
primary robotic arm operator. In 2003, Chawla was one of the seven crew members who
died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster when the spacecraft disintegrated during its re-
entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Chawla was posthumously awarded the Congressional
Space Medal of Honor, and several streets, universities and institutions have been named in
her honor. [6][7][8] She is regarded as a national hero in India.(3)
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (born 23 March 1953) is an Indian billionaire entrepreneur.
She is the chairperson and managing director of Biocon Limited, a biotechnology company
based in Bangalore, India [5] and the former chairperson of Indian Institute of Management,
Bangalore. In 2014, she was awarded the Othmer Gold Medal for outstanding contributions
to the progress of science and chemistry. She is on the Financial Times’ top 50 women in
business list. In 2019, she is listed as the 65th most powerful woman in the world
by Forbes. She has been selected for EY entrepreneur of the year 2020.(4)
These are only some of the brave and intelligent women contributors to the future of the world. Like
them, archives are filled with the works of millions of driven females. However there are still many
challenges that are faced in this scenario due to prevalent gender inequality and prejudice. It is time
we take action against being pushed onto the sidelines any longer. Girl up!
SOURCES-
(1) & (2)- https://www.ias.ac.in/Initiatives/Women_in_Science/The_Women_Scientists_of_India
(3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalpana_Chawla
(4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiran_Mazumdar-Shaw
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