On World Youth Skills Day (15th July), attention has been drawn to India’s persistent gap between the high proportion of female STEM graduates and their low workforce participation, highlighting the need for coordinated efforts by government and industry to address systemic and structural barriers.

Persistent Paradox in Women’s STEM Participation

• STEM Education-Employment Disconnect: Despite having 43% of global STEM graduates as women, only 27% of India’s STEM workforce comprises women, revealing deep systemic gaps between education and employment.
• Rising Labour Participation with Regional Disparities: As per PLFS 2023–24, the Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) reached 41.7%—but rural women (47.6%) outperform urban women (25.4%), indicating structural and socio-cultural constraints in formal sectors.
• Global and Domestic Stakes: According to McKinsey Global Institute, including 68 million more women in the workforce could raise India’s GDP by up to $700 billion by 2025. The World Bank links a 1% GDP growth with a 50% female workforce participation rate.

Governmental Frameworks for Inclusive Skilling

• National Education Policy (NEP) and Vocational Push: NEP 2020 integrates skills and life education. Government is modernising ITIs and expanding vocational skilling to rural areas, linking skilling with employability and inclusiveness.
• Gender-Budgetary Commitments in Union Budget 2025–26: Gender budget allocation rose to ?4.49 lakh crore (8.8% of total budget), including schemes like term loans for women entrepreneurs and establishment of National Skill Training Institutes.
• Policy Alignment with Viksit Bharat Vision: Women’s economic empowerment is a pillar of inclusive growth under the Viksit Bharat initiative. Schemes like Skill India, Digital India, and PM VishwakarmaYojana further this empowerment framework.

Role of Industry in Enabling Gender-Responsive Employment

• Cultural Barriers in Technical Domains: Deep-rooted gender norms (“mechanical is masculine”) hinder entry of women into STEM and technical jobs. UNESCO and World Bank note that cultural perceptions, not competence, are key obstacles.
• Corporate Interventions for STEM Inclusion: Initiatives like UN Women’s WeSTEM—backed by Micron Foundation—partner with state governments to ensure skilling, mentorship, and mindset shifts via safety trainings, family engagement, and visible role models.
• Industry-Driven Ecosystem for Career Continuity: Structured mentorship, industry-academia partnerships, flexible workplace policies, and safety assurance are vital to support women through life transitions and ensure STEM career retention.

Practice Question:

“Despite having one of the highest proportions of female STEM graduates globally, India struggles with low female participation in its STEM workforce. Discuss the structural, societal, and economic barriers to this paradox and evaluate the role of government and industry in addressing them.”    (250 words)