SWATI Portal Showcases ALL Indian Women Pushing Boundaries in Science and Tech

SWATI Portal

The Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, launched the “Science for Women – A Technology & Innovation (SWATI)” portal on February 11, 2024. The launch coincided with the International Day of Women and Girls in Science hosted at the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) in New Delhi.

The SWATI portal aims to create a comprehensive database representing Indian women and girls in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM). The National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR) in New Delhi developed and hosted the portal under the leadership of Director of NIPGR. As highlighted, SWATI is the first interactive portal of its kind globally that showcases women scientists across career stages including students, faculty, technical staff and entrepreneurs.

Main Features of SWATI Portal

The SWATI portal contains a comprehensive database profiling Indian women across science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) fields. As of February 2024, it already includes profiles of over 3,000 women scientists. The database is searchable, allowing specific queries to find women based on their specialization, affiliations, career level and other criteria.

There are separate sections highlighting women scientists working in academia (universities, research institutes), industry, as entrepreneurs, and other careers. The portal aims to eventually profile every single Indian woman working or studying in STEMM disciplines. By bringing together data on the participation of women, the SWATI portal will enable valuable research on gender equality, diversity and inclusion within the Indian scientific community over the long term.

Content of SWATI Portal

The SWATI portal includes profiles of iconic women scientists from India who have received prestigious honors like the Padma awards, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar awards, or Stree Shakti Science Samman. It also includes details of women faculty working in Indian universities and research organizations like the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR).

Additionally, the portal provides profiles of PhD scholars, postdoctoral fellows, scientific staff, technical officers and research interns. It also profiles those who have transitioned into alternate careers utilizing their STEMM backgrounds, such as science writing, patent law or journalism. Separate sections compile profiles of women entrepreneurs, startups and science administrators.

Goals of SWATI Portal

The SWATI portal has several key long-term goals. Firstly, it aims to comprehensively include profiles of every single Indian woman working or studying in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM). By aggregating detailed data on the participation of women across career stages, the portal intends to address gender gap challenges that persist within the Indian STEMM community.

The visibility provided through SWATI also hopes to motivate and encourage more young women and girls to pursue education and careers in scientific fields. Finally, by showcasing accomplished women in science, the portal seeks to highlight and strengthen applications of science and technology that can benefit and empower women as well as society at large.

Looking Ahead

Going forward, the portal developers plan to continue scaling up efforts to include each and every Indian woman working or studying in STEMM fields over time. By consolidating profiles onto a single platform, SWATI aims to create an integrated, dynamic network bringing together women scientists across the country. In conclusion, the portal strives to bridge gender gaps facing the community by highlighting the negativity barriers that persist while also showcasing the many achievements and contributions of Indian women in science.