International Day of Women and Girls in Science: Top 5 Women Leaders in STEM

International Day of Women and Girls in Science is observed every 11 February. The United Nations started this day to promote equal access and participation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. The United Nations General Assembly announced the celebration of 11 February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science in the year 2010.

As reported by the UN, the global community has made significant contributions to motivate and engage women and girls in science. Still, the half population is not able to participate in STEM sectors. According to data, women make up only 24% of the core STEM workers. Some of the key barriers to this sector include a male-dominated work atmosphere, gender stereotypes, and fewer women role models.

Here, we are talking about a few women leaders who are paving the way for more equality and diversity in science and related fields and inspiring others to follow.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw

Founder & Chairperson of Biocon Limited

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is a successful entrepreneur and seasoned industry professional. In 1978, she took the foundation ofBiocon India in the garage of her home in Bangalore. In 2001, the company received a grant from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to produce a cholesterol-lowering chemical and became the first Indian firm to do so. Over the years, Biocon grew rapidly under Kiran’s dynamic leadership. Today, it is India’s largest and fully integrated biopharmaceutical business, and Kiran has played a major role.

Divya Gokulnath

Co-founder of Bjyu’s

Divya Gokulnth is the visionary behind India’s ed-tech firm, Byju. She co-founded the company in 2011. With advanced tools, interactive content, and personalized learning approaches, Byju offers a next-level learning experience. Divya has significantly contributed to the company’s remarkable growth, especially in terms of brand marketing, content creation, and improving the user experience.

Divya has a B.Tech in biotechnology and started her career as a teacher. She remarkably led Byju’s, offering efficient learning solutions and ensuring overall growth.

Kavitha Ravindran and Rajewshwari Iyer

Founders of sAlnaptic

The two innovators and visionary women, Kavitha Ravindran and Rajeshwari Iyer, launched an AI-driven online learning portal sAlnaptic as an interactive revision tool for GCSE students studying science. The unique part of this platform is that students get instant feedback on exam-style questions in the form of a predictive score and qualitative information for betterment. It helps them push their high-order analytics. This innovative solution makes practical feedback more accessible to learners and removes the barriers to high-quality education that might be the reason students are at back due to overburdened tutors and lack of resources in schools. With sAlnaptic, Rajeshwari and Kavitha hope to support more young girls with their goal to pursue science in education and beyond.

Kushboo Jain

CEO of Impact Guru

Impact Guru is a renowned platform that helps raise funds for organizations, personal causes, and medical research. It is the brainchild of Khushboo Jain. Since its inception, the company has raised over $200 million, which has helped provide medical care for Indians suffering from serious diseases.

Impact Gurun is a Harvard-incubated fintech venture that offers an online platform for corporate and individual donors to support social causes in India.

Keya Lamba and Shweta Bahri

Founders of Earth Warriors

The two experienced educators, Keya Lamba and Shweta Bahri, started Earth Worrirors to offer a comprehensive climate education school curriculum for students 3-11 years old through a unique approach, especially young girls, to pursue careers in STEAM.

Recognizing the lack of comprehensive curriculum focused on climate change and sustainability for children in preschool and elementary schools. It happens despite the increasing demand for climate education from teachers, children, and parents. The mission of the funds is to bring this program to as many teachers and children as possible worldwide.

Summing Up…

All these women leaders and founders have become agents of change. They are creating an impact across domains and industries with their ideas, innovations, and endvours While the path might not be easy. Their journey is full of obstacles and challenges, but striking around for a long run regardless of hurdles is the key to success.