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
Banner Image credit & Copyright: David Lindemann
