Pune: The number of women holding higher positions at technology-related jobs has always been worrisome. So is the number of women doing research in India as well as abroad. However, more young girls today are taking interest in science and technology at school and have shown a ray of hope that the scenario is likely to change. Albeit, a little boost from their parents and teachers could help.

“I am still battling to get more girls to come to my classes and try their hand at programming. This year, for the first time, I had a class of junior programming students where the number of girls and boys was equal, and that was a milestone,” said Nishigandha Palshikar, founder and educator at PrograMitra, which teaches children programming languages.

Neha Nirgudkar of Muktangan Exploratory Science Centre (MESC) said while girls were always part of the Centre’s workshops and competitions, their number is increasing gradually.“While they often lack in number, they are no less than boys when it comes to their capabilities and sometimes more capable and intelligent than boys,” she said. 

Paresh Shinde, Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) coordinator at Jnana Prabodhini stated, “Not only has the number of girls increased, I feel they are better. At our school, the children have to do a project in Std IX and we have always observed that these girls are more systematic and have out of the box ideas. They need to be more aware of their capabilities, though.”

The parents need to believe that their daughters can do the same stuff as the sons, Nirgudkar added.
Palshikar said the way girls are brought up adds to this ‘lack of interest’, that many young girls are said to have in technology.

“For years, it has been believed that working with coding and other technology is only for boys. This misconception needs to change,” she stated.

It starts from the toys that we segregate depending on the baby’s gender, and grows as the girls grow up looking at other girls, their families, peers, media and the society. They feel this particular field is not for them.

“At a young age, all the children are curious about everything. They are excited to try out any activity. So, it is important to introduce them to the field of technology at this age. It will help break the perception that innovation is not for women. It will help the young girls grow up thinking that even they can be scientists, innovators and work with technology,” Palshikar asserted.