Women in Space Leadership Programme launched by DST

In an initiative to support and promote women in STEM , the department of Science and Technology has partnered with the British Council to launch ‘Women in Space leadership Programme’ (WiSLP) . The purpose of the programme is to create framework for women’s leadership that help the institutions in promoting gender-inclusive policies and practices, specifically in the fields of space sciences and related areas.

The creation of WiSLP will include consultations from Indian experts. Along with them, Coventry University will act as the delivery partner, as mentioned by the British Council. The launch was held during a design workshop at the Department of Science and Technology (DST) office situated in new Delhi. The workshop was organized on September 25,2024.

The DST launched the programme in partnership with the British Council of the UK, as part of the UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI).

While addressing the event, Dr. Vandana Singh, head of the Women in Science and engineering (WISE)-KIRAN division at DST stated that " "This programme is a significant step towards creating a gender-inclusive environment in space sciences. By building a robust leadership framework, we can empower women to contribute meaningfully to scientific research and innovation," 

The purpose of the programme is to create a lasting mentoring network and boost scientific progress by incorporating a gender perspective in significant fields like astrophysics and telecommunications.

Dr. Elena Gaura from Coventry University, UK, highlighted the role of looking for women who can transform the culture rather than simply reproduce it. The course looks forward to create leadership capacity of 250 early career researchers, equipping them with the tools to navigate gender biases and build a sustainable support network. 

The Participants in the workshop, involved academics and policymakers and they had a interactive discussion on the national and global context for promoting gender equity in space sciences.

The programme would include creating sustainable mentoring networks and enhancing scientific innovation by integrating a gender perspective into critical areas like astrophysics and telecommunications. The goal is to create gender inclusive STEM environment.