Trained Scientific Women Power: How Much are we Losing and Why?

ANALYSIS
The study ‘Trained Scientific Women Power:
How Much are we Losing and Why?’ was
conducted in order to obtain numerical data
regarding the number of women with a PhD. in
Science across the decades from 1960s-2009, to
analyze the dropping-out of women from Science
and to understand the factors responsible for this.
The aim was also to see if the reasons for this have
differed over the decades.
The analysis plan was as follows:
1. Calculating frequencies, percentages and crosstabs
for significant variables.
2. Identifying significant differences between subgroups
of women (i.e., In Research, Not in
Research and Not Working) using Chi-square
tests.
3. Analyzing differences between Women in Science
Research and Men in Science Research.
PROFILES OF PARTICIPANTS SURVEYED
Category I: Women in Science Research (WIR)
An integral condition for classification of women
scientists surveyed into Category I was their
involvement in long-term activities in research which
may also include teaching either at the postgraduate
or undergraduate level. A few women scientists in
this group were engaged in research only in labs/
institutes within the industry or in scientific
laboratories in the country (including technology
based research). Another important criteria that
defined this group was that these women scientists
who had completed their PhDs were in tenured
positions as against temporary positions indicating
a greater stability in their occupation. Delineation of
this group from the other two groups was necessary
to understand the unique experiences of women with
doctoral level training who have had career
opportunities to apply the rigorous skills and
knowledge developed at the highest level of
educational training appropriately. Thus ‘Women in
Science Research’ was formed to distinguish them
from other groups of women who, with similar skill
sets obtained during the course of doctoral training,
were engaged in careers (either due to lack of
opportunity, or by voluntary choice) that did not
demand training at the doctoral level.
Personal and Family Profile
A total of 312 women were surveyed under the
‘Women in Science Research’ category. They
composed 54.9 per cent of the total women
surveyed.
A majority of women in these groups belonged to
the South zone followed by the North Zone. The
highest majority in this group (65.4 per cent) reported
living currently in cities.
A majority of the group reported belonging to the
‘Forward’ castes. The mean age for the WIR group
was between 40-50 years (Refer Appendix II,
table 8 for details).
57.1 per cent of women scientists of this group
have reported annual family incomes of rupees six
lakhs and above (which included spouse’s, if
married). The percentage of WIR reporting
this is higher compared to the other two sub
groups, WNR and WNW. (Refer Appendix II,
table 10 for details.)
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