Challenges of Women in Science: Bangladesh Perspectives · Challenges of Women in Science:...

Challenges of Women in Science: Bangladesh PerspectivesBangladesh Perspectives

Professor Shamima K ChoudhuryDepartment of Physics, University of Dhaka, Dhaka‐1000, Bangladesh

AndDirector, Bose Centre for Advanced Study and Research in Natural Sciences

shamima@univdhaka.edu; skc.phy@gmail.com

BangladeshBangladesh

• 147 570 km2 (56 977 sq mi )147,570 km (56,977 sq mi )

• Dense population (160 million)

l h lf• Women‐ nearly half

• HDI – 0.515• Adult literacy rate – nearly 50%

Bangladesh’s human development indexBangladesh s human development index  

HDI rank Life Adult Combined GDP perHDI rank( value)

Life expectancy

at birth

Adult literacy

rate

Combined gross

enrolment

GDP per capita

(PPP US$)at birth(years)

rate(% ages 15 and above)

enrolment ratio(%)

(PPP US$)

and above) (%)146. 

(0 515)

120. 

(68 9)

135. 

(53 5)

154. 

(52 1)

155. 

(1 241)(0.515) (68.9) (53.5) (52.1) (1,241)

Education: Adult Literacy by Gender, 1991‐2008

Year Both Sexes Male Female1991 37.2 43.3 25.81995 45.3 55.6 38.11999 52 7 60 7 42 81999 52.7 60.7 42.82003 50.3 56.3 44. 22004 51.6 57.2 45.82005 53.5 58.3 48.62006 53.7 58.5 48.82007 58 3 63 1 53 52007 58.3 63.1 53.52008 59.1 63.4 54.7Target-2015 100 100 100

Net Enrolment Rate in Primary Education by GenderEducation by Gender

Year Girls Boys

2002 85 6 85 42002 85.6 85.42003 82.6 81.4

2004 86.4 85.1

2005 90.1 84.6

2006 94.5 87.6

2007 94.7 87.8

Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010Indicator     Both gender (%)     Male (%)         Female (%) 

Class I‐V 29 56 29 80 28 30Class I V                  29.56                29.80             28.30

Class VI‐VIII             13.29                12.96             13.63

Class IX X 8 05 7 97 8 12Class IX‐X                   8.05                  7.97               8.12

SSC/equiv                  5.21                  5.86               4.54

HSC/equiv 3 08 3 81 2 34HSC/equiv                 3.08                  3.81               2.34

Degree/equiv            1.55                 2.17                0.92

M t ' / i 0 85 1 24 0 45Master's/equiv          0.85                1.24                 0.45

Engineering/Medical 0.11               0.17                 0.05

Technical/vocational 0.08                0.12                 0.04

Others                          0.01               0.02                  0.01

Academic ladderAcademic ladder

High school to highest academic positions,High school to highest academic positions, 

the representation of women –

d li b t ti lldeclines substantially

Percentage of women in academic ladderPercentage of women in academic ladder 

STAGE STUDENTS TEACHERS

SSC 45 25

HSC 40 22

UNIVERSITY 23 15UNIVERSITY 23 15

Women in scienceWomen in science

In the transition to Number of Female Students appearing in HSCIn the transition to graduate school‐more women than men with  160000

180000

science and engineering degrees opt into other fi ld f t d

100000

120000

140000

Science

fields of study

60000

80000 Hum

Business

0

20000

40000

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Enrolment in science education….Enrolment in science education….

Percentage of students in Science in blPublic Universities

Status of Women in UniversityStatus of Women in University

• The gender distribution in teaching staff and the student’s l h l d l f lenrolment shows an alarming disparity in male versus female 

ratio.

• In these institutions of higher education, number of female teachers account for less than 20% of the male teachers.

• The female teachers have to face tougher competition compared to male counterparts for getting jobs in educational institutions though performance wise they show better 

i li i f d l i i h hpotentiality in terms of acceptance and popularity with the students. 

• Number of female students in both the public and private universities is nearly 30% of the male counterpart.

Enrolment in Universities by management d dand gender

100000

120000

140000

60000

80000

100000

MaleFemale

20000

40000

60000

0

Pub

lic

Priv

ate

Pub

lic

Priv

ate

Pub

lic

Priv

ate

Pub

lic

Priv

ate

Pub

lic

Priv

ate

Pub

lic

Priv

ate

P P P P P P P P P P P P

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

University Teachers by management and dgender

5000

6000

7000

3000

4000

5000

MaleFemale

1000

2000

0

Pub

lic

Priv

ate

Pub

lic

Priv

ate

Pub

lic

Priv

ate

Pub

lic

Priv

ate

Pub

lic

Priv

ate

Pub

lic

Priv

ate

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

100 % f bli f l d

Percentage of Percentage of female students female students in different types of educational institutes, 2011in different types of educational institutes, 2011

40

60

80

100 % of public female student% of private female student

0

20

40

Primary Ed i

School Ed i

College Ed i

ProfessionalMadrasahEd i

TeacherEd ti

Technicali l

UniversityEducation Education Education Education Education -vocational

Percentage of Percentage of female teachers female teachers in different types of educational institutes, 2011in different types of educational institutes, 2011

60

80

100% of public female teacher

% of private female teacher

20

40

60

0Primary Education

MadrasahEducation

School Education

College Education

Professional TeacherEducation

Technical-vocational

University

Percentage of female teachers and female enrolment in different types of Percentage of female teachers and female enrolment in different types of University, 2011University, 2011y,y,

100

Female Teacher Enrolment

60

80

20

40

0

Public University Private University

Gender equality ‐ Present scenarioGender equality  Present scenario 

• Women in Bangladesh very often face discrimination in career in every field of Science and Engineering.

• A study was undertaken to see the barriers limiting theA study was undertaken to see the barriers limiting the appointment, retention, and advancement of women faculty in the Universities, Administration and other Academic InstitutionsAcademic  Institutions.

. 

Dhaka University student by Gender in i f lscience faculty

80

60

70

40

50Male

30

40Female

10

20

02005 2006 2007 2008 2009

DU Student by Gender in f lBio‐science faculty 

60

50

30

40

Male

10

20Female

0

10

2005 2006 2007 2008 20092005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Status of faculty in UniversityStatus of faculty in University

• The percentage of women teachers, Professors andThe percentage of women teachers, Professors and Ph.Ds in the faculty of science and bioscience of Dhaka University are shown. 

• Similar data are shown also for Bangladesh gUniversity of Engg. And Technology(BUET) and that for Jahangir Nagar University. 

• It is obvious from all the data presented in these figures that the percentage of female teachers are significantly less then that of male teachers.

Gender‐Dhaka University  Faculty  ( )(2010)

90100

607080

20304050

Female

01020

e c c cy c e c c cy c e c c cy c e c c cy c

Sci

enc

Eng

g. S

Ear

th S

Pha

rma c

Bio

sS

cien

cE

ngg.

SE

arth

SP

harm

a cB

io s

Sci

enc

Eng

g. S

Ear

th S

Pha

rma c

Bio

sS

cien

cE

ngg.

SE

arth

SP

harm

a cB

io s

Professor Assoc Prof Asstt. Prof. Lecturer

Women faculty in Science and Bioscience of Dhaka U i itUniversity

Gender‐ BUET studentsGender BUET students

90

100

70

80

90

50

60

70

Girls

30

40 Boys

0

10

20

02000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Gender ‐BUET FacultyGender  BUET Faculty100

70

80

90

50

60

70

Women Faculty

20

30

40Men Faculty

0

10

20

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 20072000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Percentage of women among h d f fPh.D. and Professors of BUET

Percentage of women among h d f fPh.D. and Professors of JNU

Status – Developed countryStatus  Developed country

According to the Scientific American womenAccording to the Scientific American, women represented only 27 percent of those employed in science and engineering in theemployed in science and engineering in the USA. 

More specifically women made up only 17More specifically, women made up only 17 percent of professionals in the Engineering and Science Faculty at Rice University lastand Science Faculty at Rice University last year.

Women in science in a developed countryWomen in science in a developed country

Women in professional sectorWomen in professional sector

90100

50607080

Teaching

20304050

Enrollment

010

Medical Dental Nursing

Women in Civil Administration

120

80

100

60

80

Men

20

40 Women

0Secre 2008

Ad Sec 2008

Jt Se 2008

Dep Sec 2008

Sr Astt 2008

Astt sec 20082008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008

Women in Policy and Civil dAdministration

120

80

100 Men

Women

60

80

20

40

0Minis 2009

Secre 2008

Ad Sec 2008

Jt Se 2008

Dep Sec 2008

Sr Astt 2008

Astt sec 20082009 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008

Percentage of Women in other fProfessions 

60

50

30

40

STUDENTS

10

20TEACHERS

0

10

BAU 2007 MED COL 2005 BSMMU 2007BAU,2007 MED COL,2005 BSMMU,2007

Challenges of women in scienceChallenges of women in science

• Women succeed in science as a result of theirWomen succeed in science as a result of their own merit, initiative and drive. 

• Family support institutional support and most• Family support, institutional support and most importantly government support are very important for women to succeed in theirimportant for women to succeed in their professional career. 

Challenges ‐ contd. • Easy access to basic and secondary education — especially in science.

• Encouragement in the classroom, family and environment are important ‐ girls may still fall down from science and scientific fields at any stage of the ladderscientific fields at any stage of the ladder. 

• Women and girls are not encouraged to choose scientific professional career in fear of losing them in family affairsprofessional career in fear of losing them in family affairs. 

• Moreover women in scientific professions face discrimination in terms of employment promotion anddiscrimination in terms of employment, promotion and retention within S&T careers. 

Underrepresentation of women in h hhigher positions

• At the top research or academic institutions, less than p1% women are in the top position.

• In Bangladesh, among 34 public & 70 private universities  unfortunately none in public but only two woman couldunfortunately none in public but only two woman could get the position of the vice‐chancellor of  private university, though there are many qualified women to achieve those positionsachieve those positions.

• Although women scientists and researchers of our gcountry are hard working, creative and intellectual but they are still underrepresented in the policy making positions of scientific profession and education.positions of scientific profession and education.

Desired strategyDesired strategy

• Explore science through Science communicationExplore science through Science communication and net‐ working

• GET involved with science but also stay involved• GET involved with science, but also stay involved with science

S i h h l k lif d d i• Science change the outlook on life and academic aspirations.

• Enquiry based science education (IBSE) 

• Engage more women in Scienceg g

• Empower women 

Way forward…….• To ensure economic and social development women participation and gender equality is a must.

• In the initiatives on Science Technology and Innovation, it is crucial to look at the role of women d d l h h h dand gender equality within them, where do women 

fit into these initiatives .

• Recent finding has identified the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as grounds for pursuing both gender equality and science technology andboth gender equality and science, technology and innovation initiatives.

• Social, scientific and technological advancement of a nation can only be strengthened through equal participation of men and women in STI.

BAS‐ Young Women Scientists(YWS) workshop

• Social, scientific and technological advancement of a nation , gcan only be strengthened through equal participation of men and women. 

A i t ti l k h “Ch ll f Y WCh ll f Y W• An international workshop on “Challenges of Young Women Challenges of Young Women Scientists in New and Emerging SciencesScientists in New and Emerging Sciences” was organized by Bangladesh Academy of Sciences  with partial support from TWAS last year. 

• The workshop comprising with 60 young women scientists as ‘mentees’ and 8 ‘mentors’ focused the technical and scientificmentees  and 8  mentors  focused the technical and scientific challenges along with the social barriers that women face in pursuing a career in Science, Technology and Innovation. 

YWS workshop‐ “Mentor‐Mentee”

AimAim 

• To develop a sustained relationship betweenTo develop a sustained relationship between experienced women scientists who give advice asmentors to less‐experienced young womenasmentors to less experienced young women scientists i.e.mentees.

• The interaction between the mentors and the• The interaction between the mentors and the mentees ‐ to promote the young scientists.

Mentors & MenteesMentors & Mentees

Issues & Challenges for YWSIssues & Challenges for YWS• Successes and barriers for women scientists in pursuing scientific dreams

• Public communication for women in science.

• Balancing Life in career, family life and success.

• Issues related to career development• Issues related to career development

• What women scientists can do for other grassroots in achieving MDG goalsgrassroots in achieving MDG goals

• How to become an entrepreneur inManaging Research & Development ‐potential for commercialization

YWS: Recommendations• YWS should be inspired to achieve success in research in their organizations and to create positive impact in their 

iticommunities. 

• YWS who reach higher education and launch their careers institutional policies such as mentoring childcarecareers, institutional policies such as mentoring, childcare and funding can influence their advancement along with the male colleagues.the male colleagues. 

• Women scientists should sensitize themselves for self‐actualization and self‐realization of potentials.  p

• International research collaboration, networking and the ability to communicate science among fellow women scientists and others will help enhance women scientists’ visibility in science and technology. 

Remarks by Phumzile Mlambo‐Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women on 12 September 2013p

1. Expanding women’s leadership and participation1. Expanding women s leadership and participation

2. Enhancing women’s economic empowerment

3 Increasing women’s participation in peace and security3. Increasing women s participation in peace and security

4. Ending violence against women and girls

5 Planning and budgeting for gender equality and5. Planning and budgeting for gender equality, and

6. Promoting accountability for strong UN system‐wide action for gender equality and women’s empowermentaction for gender equality and women s empowerment.

We have no other alternative thanWe have no other alternative than promoting and empowering

Women in Science Women in Science forfor 

socio‐economic development

Th k llTh k llThank you allThank you all