1. Women Engineers in India: Status and Prognosis Dr. Seema Singh Head, Department of Humanities Delhi Technological University Delhi- 110 042 seemasinghdtu@gmail.com

2. Introduction  Engineering is considered as a male bastion in India as in other parts of the globe.  Women participation is low.

3. Reasons for Low Participation:  Engineering started with army which was a male domain so even now, engineering is predominated by them.  Medical is about caring which can be done best by women and Engineering is about heavy machines which can be best for men.

4. In this background, the paper discusses-1:  Participation of women in engineering in India with international comparison.  As after liberalization and opening up of the Indian economy their participation has increased in the engineering arena, Economic, Demographic, Educational and Social Factor for increase in women participation.  Women Engineer’s Contribution in the National Economy

5. In this background, the paper discusses-2:  Women Engineer in the organization  Theories for less number of women engineers at higher level of management.  Affirmative action taken by Indian Industries to enhance participation of Women Engineers  Problem faced by women engineers.  Suggestion for improvement

6. Percentage of Women Students in Various Disciplines of Study

7. An International Comparison  Low participation of women in engineering is not the case for India only. It is more or less same for the rest of the world.  In the USA, Australia, Western Europe, which other wise boast for their development, participation is very low.

8. Table2: Country wise Percentage of Women Students in Engineering SL. No. Country% participation 1.U.S.A.19 2.Japan13 3.Australia11 4.Eritrea04 5.United Kingdom8.7  Source: Statistics from the “Global Education Digest” report released from UNESCO Institute for Statistics 2005

9. Advantage India India  It is growing.  Large young women population want to pursue it. Developed Countries like US, UK, Australia  They have reached plateau.  Not many wants to pursue. They migrate to other stream even after joining engg.

10. Economic Factor for Increase in Women Engineers  After Globalisation, many multinational companies are coming for its large pool of engineering manpower (Singh Seema, 2005).  Advent of ICT, has created various new type of job for engineers. Large number of women engineers are taking up these jobs.

11. Economic Factor for Increase in Women Engineers-2  An empirical survey of women in an engineering college has demonstrated that the increase in women’s participation is specific to computer-related fields in engineering, which is directly related to the vibrant market (Gupta-2012).

12. Demographic Factor for Increase in Women Engineers  Small Family size  In such circumstances, irrespective of being son or daughter, families are taking good care of the education of their children.

13. Educational Factor for Increase in Women Engineers-1  Opening of Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women, an only women engineering university.  Reservation for women in State Technological University at Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan.

14. Educational Factor for Increase in Women Engineers-2  Reservation for only girl child at Delhi Technological University, PEC University of Technology at Chandigarh.  Apex bodies of higher education as AICTE, UGC, DST have several programmes for women engineers

15. Social Factor for Increase in Women Engineers * The patrifocal family system continues to have significant consequences for the education of women even today. * The recent upsurge in women enrolment in engineering education justifies this. Parents invest in daughter’s engineering education as it is easier for engineers to get suitable groom and dowry is also comparatively low for them.

16. Women Engineers in Industries  Though neither employer’s attitude nor working environment is very congenial for women engineers.  But lately, employers want to improve gender ratio.

17. Women Engineers in Industries-2  In computer and IT sector, employers prefer women engineer.  Auto giants, Maruti and Yamaha are hiring more women mechanical engineers for better productivity and aesthetic input in the design.

18. Contribution of Women Engineers  Though there is lack of national data on women engineers.  They are working in teaching, manufacturing, services, technical fields as bank and other financial institutions, administration, consultants, techno entrepreneurs and working as high-end labour in Economics terminology.  So, even a rough estimate indicates significant contribution

19. Women Engineers at the work Place * In the Management hierarchy, many women are at lower level. *But as the progress, number dwindle. * Very few women are at higher level of management.

20. Reasons: 1- Gendered Organisation:  An organisational bureaucracy is traditionally descried in the literature as a managerial culture where the leader represents a hero figure at the top of a power hierarchy (Baldridge, Curtis, Ecker, & Riley, 1977) which were, and remain, male dominated (Acker, 1990).

21. Reasons: 2-Glass Ceiling and Sticky Floors:  Glass ceiling, the term was coined in 1980s, may be termed as invisible barriers that restricts a qualified person from advancing (see Carnes, Morrissey, & Geller, 2008; Falk & Grizard, 2005).

22. Reasons: 3- Self Perception for Unpaid Care Work  The capability of paid work has been given a lot of focus in Amartaya Sen’s framework of development as freedom. But it has been seen even though there is family support, engineers do not want to take a project where they have to be mobile when the kids are of school going age.  Many others leave job during that age group.

23. Affirmative Action taken by Indian Corporate Sector-1  Women First Council of HCL is a council by the women, of the women, for the women, that provides an organized platform to address unique and special needs of the women.

24. Affirmative Action taken by Indian Corporate Sector-2  Wipro Eco-Energy has partnered with UN Women to Strengthen Women’s Role in Business.  Most of the firms are organising seminars for their staff for gender sensitising.

25. Affirmative Action taken by Indian Corporate Sector-3  Microsoft has a programme of re- employment of women engineers who have taken break from their regular career.

26. Problem faced by working Women Engineer-1  Once the office knows that an engineer is pregnant, no one wants her to keep in their project. So even though she can work for next five six months, she is not involved in any project. In corporate terminology that is called ‘on bench’  also looses some perks.

27. Problem faced by working Women Engineer-2  Some engineers have reported discrimination and exploitation.  In case of leaving the corporate sector, it is very difficult to re-join.  Women engineers have reported about lack of mentors.

28. Suggestion for Improvement  Role of association and societies like WISE and INWES in mentoring young women engineers in their professional career has become very important.  Continuing Engineering Education need to revamp itself to train itself.

29. Thanks for your patient listening