SWATI portal launched for creating single database representing women in STEMM

NEW DELHI: Principal scientific advisor Ajay Kumar Sood today launched Science for Women-A Technology and Innovation (SWATI) portal for creating a single online portal representing women and girls in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM).

The portal was launched on the occasion of International Day of Women and Girls in Science at Indian National Science Academy (INSA New Delhi). Sood said the database of the SWATI portal will serve in policy-making to address the challenges of gender-gap.

The portal will have a first-of-its-kind complete interactive database in the country, which is developed, hosted and maintained by the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR New Delhi) under the leadership of NIPGR director Subhra Chakraborty.

The event was organized with a view to focusing on the importance of ‘Science for Women and Women in Science’ as well as emerging opportunities and inclusiveness of women in S&T endeavours. The SAWATI portal will disseminate knowledge, advances in fundamental science and role of innovation and entrepreneurship development in strengthening the backbone of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

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The other objectives of the SWATI portal include to scale up the effort exponentially to include each and every Indian woman in science, across all career stages and subjects, spanning both Academia and the Industry. The various sections in the portal include icons; faculty; research fellows; entrepreneurs. The SWATI portal can be accessed at this link.

The World Academy of Science president Quarraisha Abdool Karim in her keynote address said, “Even in the 21st Century, we still have a way to go to address gender parity in all sectors of life. Education is a great equaliser and access to it must be made available to women and girls across all streams.”