In September 2015, the Executive Council, Astronomical Society of India (ASI) approved the formation of a Working Group for Gender Equity (WGGE) to address issues related to gender equity within the Astronomy & Astrophysics community of India.
The scientific community, all over the world, has historically suffered from gender inequity. Happily, the situation is changing. Many professional astronomical societies (International Astronomical Union, Americal Astronomical Society, Astronomical Society of Australia etc.) now have formal commissions/working-groups devoted to address these issues. A similar effort is ongoing in the Indian astronomical community as well.
The consensus to form a gender equity working group emerged out of discussions that took place in dedicated sessions organized at ASI meetings in 2013, 2014 and 2015. A formal proposal was therefore submitted to ASI in April 2015 requesting the formation of this working group. The WGGE Proposal: submitted to ASI President, April 2015
A paper on the WGGE in "Physics News" 2020
The WGGE members endorse "The Hyderabad Charter for Gender Equity in Physics"
Please watch this space for our future activities and agenda. Please feel free to contact any of the members of WGGE to give your suggestions about the issues you feel the working group should be looking into. Email us at "wgge.asi@gmail.com"
WGGE supports the efforts of The Gender in Physics Working Group (GIPWG) of the Indian Physics Association (IPA) Link
"The Working Group for Gender Equity mourns the passing of the eminent particle physicist, Prof. Rohini Godbole on October 25, 2024. Prof. Godbole was a professor at the Centre for High Energy Physics at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Her research on various aspects of particle phenomenology over three decades was highly regarded by her peers. She was also a fierce advocate of gender equity in science. She was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India for her contributions to science and technology in 2019. Prof. Rohini Godbole co-edited with Prof. Ram Ramaswamy the pathbreaking book, “Lilavati’s Daughters”, which is a collection of powerful biographical essays on 100 women scientists from India, https://www.ias.ac.in/Initiatives/Women_in_Science/Lilavatis_Daughters.
WGGE will continue to strive towards a more gender-equitable environment in the Indian astrophysics community following in the footsteps of such pioneering women scientists.”
Banner Image credit & Copyright: David Lindemann
