Is Overcoming Diffidence the Route to Success?
The Indian Women Scientists Association has yet to hear its first case of sex discrimination. But there is evidence that only very recent generations of Indian women are willing to acknowledge discrimination. Although Sudha Gangal, head of the department of immunobiology at the Cancer Research Institute (CRI), says she has never encountered discrimination, she acknowledges that women scientists are frequently overlooked for important positions in policy making as well as for receiving awards. Also, recently one female researcher was distressed to find that her junior male co-author was asked to give the public presentation of the findings of which she had been the lead author. According to Sharma, “He refused and she wound up giving the talk, but the fact that he was asked reflects a form of discrimination that is subtle and difficult to confront.” Indian women are not well represented in top scientific bodies. Last year, of the group of 628 and 698 scientists chosen as Fellows by the
