Science, please

In 1973, twelve women subverted the norms that denied them entry into the hallowed halls of science and formed the Indian Women Scientists' Association. On its golden jubilee, SNEHA MEHTA speaks to members old and new about how this female-driven community represents a radical departure within STEM. 

- SNEHA MEHTA

DRESSED IN A simple grey cotton sari and black-framed glasses, 91-year-old Dr Sudha Padhye, a former physicist at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), cuts an unassuming figure. But as she begins talking about her views on women pursuing careers in STEM, the facade of the polite grandmother melts away and the steely-eyed scientist emerges. "Why are women afraid of technology and science? Their mindset and what they've been led to believe is that they won't understand it. But I don't buy all that," she says dismissively.

As a member of what might be called the first cohort of professional women scientists in India, Dr Padhye has earned the right to have strong opinions. In a world designed for and dominated by men, she struggled to be taken seriously and found that work could be lonely at times. As one of not more than three female students in every classroom, or as a professional in workspaces that did not even have ladies' washrooms, her experiences mirror those of many who dare to step outside of the confines outlined for them by India's heteropatriarchy. Spurred by the challenges she faced, Dr Padhye dedicated her life to clearing out these roadblocks for other women in science as a founding member of the Indian Women Scientists' Association (IWSA), a professional organisation that has grown to over 2,000 individuals and 11 branches across India in the 50 years since its inception.