“As women desiring an equitable role in the workplace, we need to realize that there are challenges to overcome to achieve excellence in our domain. We need to show initiative and develop an entrepreneurial zeal. We cannot put constraints on ourselves – everybody has to start small but that does not mean we have to aspire small. I strongly feel that women need to dream big, be confident and visible. Women in STEM need to support each other, and as we achieve success , we are obligated to help others get there.
When I started my career in STEM, it was always presumed that professional commitments would be secondary to women, they were not expected to focus too much on their career. Battling these prejudices has been tough and more so when we take on leadership roles. This leads to the leaky bucket phenomenon where very capable women professionals – after reaching a certain point in their career, drop out due to many obstacles – family responsibilities, workplace biases etc. It is incumbent upon society and the workplace to create an ecosystem for women to persevere and excel, so that we do not lose this excellent talent pool midway . My dream is to see more women break through the glass ceiling and soar to greater heights.”
