Context: On the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February, the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) witnessed the launch of the “Science for Women-A Technology & Innovation (SWATI)” Portal.
About SWATI Portal
- Developed hosted and maintained by: National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), New Delhi.
- Initiative of: Inter Academy Panel (IAP) on Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Medicine (STEMM).
- Objective: To create a single online portal representing Indian Women and Girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Medicine (STEMM).
- Features: It contains a comprehensive database profiling Indian women across STEMM fields.
- Includes profiles of women awardees (Padma / Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar / Stree Shakti Science Samman) & Directors, Secretaries Academy Presidents.
- Includes each and every Indian woman in science, across all career stages and subjects, spanning both academia and the industry, enabling reliable and statistically significant long term research on the issues of equality, diversity and inclusivity in India.
- Significance: Will serve in policy making to address the challenges of Gender-gap.
- Facilitating sustained and statistically robust long-term research on matters pertaining to equality, diversity, and inclusivity in India.
- It will inspire and empower more young women and girls to pursue education and careers in scientific fields.
- Creating a dynamic search engine and accessible database.
About the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP)
- It is a global network consisting of over 140 national and regional member academies of science, engineering, and medicine.
- It was founded in 1993 as the InterAcademy Panel (IAP).
- The mission of IAP is for the world's merit-based academies to play a vital role in ensuring that science serves society inclusively and equitably and underpins global sustainable development by advising the public on the scientific aspects of critical global issues.